MLP SEASON 6 REVIEW: #1: The Crystalling (2-Part Premiere)

ORIGINAL AIR DATE: 26/2/16 - Written by Josh Haber 

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

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So here we are, Season 6 is now upon us. It's come way earlier than anyone expected, but more pony so soon after a season ends is always a good thing, right?

Anyway, after the Season 5 finale surprised many and confused others, it's time for this generation of My Little Pony to go into a season treading unknown ground. As many of the core plot points, story arcs and rivalries that have followed its characters for the last 5 years have been resolved, Season 6 will open new doors, give life to new characters, open up new places and most importantly, as evident by this premiere, bring forth a new royal life for all to see. As a result, this season has started with optimism abound for the Bronies watching, however, as we know from previous premieres, it's never a simple group of episodes to watch, let alone review. Will the combined two-part episode that aired on Saturday have enough outside of the initial reveal to have it be regarded as a premiere to be remembered? Lets find out.

STORY AND NARRATIVE

With the episode being promoted as being centred around the Royal Baby, it came as a shock for me to have Starlight's first friendship lesson take up most of this two-parters run time. From the moment the first episode started, I had worries that this two-parter would struggle trying to maintain both essential plots at the same time. In many ways, those worries were proven correct.

Changing frequently from the anticipation, euphoria and frantic drama of Flurry Heart to the awkward and slow interactions between Starlight, Spike and Sunburst really hurt the perception of cohesion in the strength of the narrative, in turn symbolising the episode had a hard time trying to find its identity. It couldn't make up its mind up on whether to be the dramatic and intense like we've become accustomed to in these types of episodes, or be an emotional continuation of the end of Season 5. As a result, the episode feels unorganised and a bit messy, feeling much more like a test to see if this type of structure will work in the future rather than  come out of the gates fully functioning. While I will give them credit for transitioning from one plot to another, trying to replicate the tone each time to resolve the pace issues, it didn't rectify the the problem. The pacing wasn't helped as the first part feels inconsequential, drawn out without much consequence and only existing to pad the second part out. This rings true as the "Previously on My Little Pony" flashback did a better job than the whole episode itself.

The saving graces for this episode stems from both plots finishing at different times, making it end with pacing problems finally resolved at the end of its 44-minute run time. The two-parter is also noteworthy as it had a unique narrative structure, starting with a disequilibrium stemming from the end of the last season's events. This allowed the episode to stand as a platform for showcasing continuity from the not just the season that preceded it, but helping reference past episodes from even further back, reminding some of how important and essential the Crystal Empire is as well as how deep the lore of this series has grown to become. While the reveal of the baby and her actions were shocking and refreshing, which is a major positive, outside of that, the rest of the events of the episode were heavily foreshadowed, no mater how subtle. This made the whole episode come across as predictable, which isn't a pleasant thing to watch.

Overall, the writers tried too hard to make both plots feel like they were worth their time, when both could have filled individual episodes. As a result, continuing ahead with two came at the expense of this episodes cohesion and pacing, which for a premiere is disappointing to see, especially after five seasons in perfecting its formula.

RATING: 1 out of 5.

WRITING AND VOICE ACTING

As showcased by the picture above, this episode had an abundance of characters involved, which makes sense considering the episode was surrounding a historic event for the lore of the series. The Mane Six, Shining Armour, Princesses Cadence, Celestia and Luna and the debuting Flurry Heart are all on show here, out of shot there's Starlight Glimmer, Spike, the debuting Sunburst and the residents of The Crystal Empire, as well as Twilight's Mum and Dad making a small cameo. You can easily see that trying to give at least 17 characters ample screen and speaking time is a major challenge, a challenge that some of this shows premieres and finales have balanced incredibly well. Sadly this wasn't the case here, as most of the cast wallowed in the shadows of others who were much more important to the progression of the narrative as a whole.

While Fluttershy, Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Rarity did get occasional moments to shine, they didn't have enough space to properly stand out, with minimal dialogue to support them. Even the Royal Princesses failed to make their mark, and while Twilight's role was heavily holding the first part aloft, her presence in the second part diminished over time, as well as proving more cumbersome too. Pinkie got a surprising amount of dialogue, which was used nicely to bring comedy to a very tense situation no matter how forced it seemed, especially given the tense atmosphere from the first scene onwards. Shining Armour got a lot more dialogue than expected but it came at the expense of his character, which routinely showed him as inept and incapable of remaining calm, which got tiresome the more it played into the narrative. However in having Shining Armour provide this irritating comedic role, it allowed Spike to take on a more humble and understanding supporting role that, when combined with his chemistry with Starlight Glimmer, gave him to shine as the one character who seemed to know what he was doing and excel at it. Starlight Glimmer and Sunbursts anxious interactions may have been intentionally awkward to increase tension, but it showed off their weaknesses while allowing them to build up to their inevitable strengths being showcased later, showing great growth and balancing for both characters.

Flurry Hearts role as the cute but deadly baby was nicely executed as it wasn't too overbearing and proved essential in moving the narrative along, with perfect voice acting by Tabitha St. Germain of all people to bring the rambunctious tyke to life. The varied ranges  on show with Starlight, Pinkie Pie, Spike and Shining Armour coupled in with their well written roles to make them the lynch pins that hold the episodes core elements up higher than they rightfully should be. I could have done without the citizens of the Crystal Empire showing themselves to be very stubborn, ignorant and egotistical, it did little to take away from what was a stellar set of performances that I loved. Sure... we could have had a new villain but as Flurry Heart was the pseudo-antagonist of this premiere along with the snowstorm, it wasn't an aspect that was missed, and won't take down this category from an area it surprisingly excelled in against all odds.

RATING: 3 out of 5.

ANIMATION

If you come into a premiere expecting animation to be at the forefront, you are for the most part mistaken. This is because the finale can take all shine away from it easily, especially when you look at what has taken place over the last two or three seasons. Therefore, I wasn't disappointed with the lack of major animation elements on show here, however if you think this will be an entirely negative aspect, you are once again mistaken.

When there is a lack of significant, one-off piece of animation work on show, you can always look for the more subtle, smaller elements that can bring together a nice portfolio that an episode can be proud of. Thankfully this two-parter had a lot of them to fall back on. The list is quite large, including the beams of magic from the horns of alicorn and unicorns alike, the ice effects on ponies bodies, the design of the Twilight's snowflake invitation, the feel of cramped space inside Sunbursts house using greatly placed angles and the cornucopia of facial expressions on show from not just Pinkie Pie but Starlight Glimmer and Shining Armour were a delight to see. You also you have the designs of the two new characters, with Sunburst essentially being a male version of Moon Dancer, with glasses that move smoothly to boot, and Flurry Heart's design includes those big eyes and a fully formed mouth to highlight how different she is from normal babies due to her status as a newborn Alicorn. In the biggest animated set piece, you have the light effects from the Crystalling Ceremony itself, both on Flurry Heart, flowing through the roads of the Crystal Empire and finally spewing out of the Crystal Castle as a result, FINALLY helps deliver on the spectacle that this event should have without going over the top. Finally, before I forget, the smoke transition from Starlight Glimmer's flashback scene with Spike interrupting was glorious. 

While a bigger flourish is missing, along with a lack of detail on the  Crystal Empires humble abodes for its citizens, this episode showed that through little pieces, it managed to shine brighter than it ought have. I can be thankful for that. It may not be perfect, but it did enough to please, all I could ask for.

RATING: 3 out of 5.

MESSAGE

Even though the narrative faltered, the message of the episode proudly holds its head up high to be the star of this episode, which when you consider the problems I've alluded to so far, it's a big relief.

While it took its sweet, sweet time in delivering itself, the message about Twilight giving Starlight Glimmer space in figuring out things for herself was well executed in using the tension of the episode to showcase the flaws in Twilight's teaching methods, and use her students enforced but polite disregard for them as a way for both characters to build confidence in themselves as their relationship continues to grow going forward. It made the long, tiresome wait feel worth it, especially when it offshoots in helping Sunburst realise his importance once given the space and time to realise his worth. If there is one criticism, having Spike tell Twilight that she is a better teacher than she thinks she is despite her teachings not working dampened its impact to a degree. While she still has a lot of work to do in order to become as good a teacher as Celestia was to her, it's a little too early for her to be taking the credit, especially when it was SPIKE who did all the work and proved a better teacher on this occasion, having learnt from all around him.

Thanks to that niggle, I can't call this message completely perfect but it comes mighty close. Considering the issues this episode had in building it up, I will give credit where credit is due in realising it as good as this. It shouldn't be so well done, but they pulled it off somehow, congratulations.

RATING: 4 out of 5.

MUSIC

With premiere's and finales in this series, you would expect the musical elements to be jacked up to eleven, and contain an extra flourish in comparison to the norm. Sadly for a premiere, these episodes did very little to excite the ears.

The backing music was supposed to support the narrative, writing and animation in establishing tone, but due to the episode being awkward, stilted and uninspiring in a lot of moments, the music couldn't find itself the opportunity to bring itself to life, even if it had been given the breathing room to try. While the scenes with Flurry Heart had higher tempo to replicate the frantic nature surrounding her, and the Crystalling Ceremony itself finally adding some gravitas to the occasion, the rest of the episode musically came across as lacklustre. This episode needed a musical number to really give the episode something to shout about, sadly with the dialogue and actions (or lack thereof) being enough to substantiate itself, it wasn't needed. However, it would have re-energised the first part for sure, especially if it were executed during Starlight's flashback, as the transition subtly alluded to.

Overall, outside of the typical orchestral fare, this episode severely needed to replicate the vibrancy and colour of some of its visual counterparts. Sadly, it failed to capitalise on it, and came across as mundane and flat. While I will give some credit for the LITTLE they did to give this episode some musical life, it's disappointing to know it was left so far behind when the rest of the episode tried so hard to give itself depth, something this category could've offered.

RATING: 1 out of 5.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Premieres are hard to rate, as you have to balance hype and the rest of the seasons potential based on what you've just seen at the same time. When looking at "The Crystalling", in my opinion that hype isn't well justified and it didn't create that much intrigue.

The predictability of the episodes inevitable conclusion when combined with the pacing issues and an awkward tone made this episode surprisingly uneasy watching, feeling like it was never going to end. While the second episode did manage to salvage the problems that were laboured from the first part, it has a hard time standing up on its own two feet as a particularly memorable set of episodes outside of the occasional fleeting moment and great piece of character building. When put in contrast with "The Return Of Harmony", "Princess Twilight Sparkle" and "The Cutie Map", episodes that started their respective season with a bang, a flourish and a sense of gravitas, it's no competition at all. In fact, it reminds me more of the initial two-parter "Friendship Is Magic" and "The Crystal Empire" from Seasons 1 and 3 respectively, in that this two-parter tried too hard to but all its eggs in one second part basket while devoting too much time to its set-up the first time round, which makes it look like a lopsided duo that only exists to connect the finale together with it, in the hope that the finale will gloss over and make you forget the frailties that were exhibited here. While this episode did have its moments of quality, which explains why my rating isn't as low as it could've been, it struggled to stand out as an episode that got me excited for the twenty-four episodes that have to follow it. I know that a lot of Bronies loved watching this episode and felt it did the series justice, but for me it was too predictable and disorganised at its core for me to have it be an episode that is anything more than average.

Coming into this premiere, I was full of optimism while also feeling a lot of uncertainty. I was unsure as to what this show will do to kick off a new chapter in its history. It's simple to say that these two episodes represent the baby steps that Hasbro and DHX have taken to test new ideas out, which may be done going forward. From the first frame, that uncertainty is displayed by the laboured pacing, bland music and static, tense scenes, all of which took this episode downhill. While it was saved by its animation, message and writing fronts, there's a lot still needed to be done from here to give me reassurance that Josh Haber and his writing team can do better. It did the little required to pass into average territory, but going forward I expect a lot better.

FINAL RATING: 12 out of 25.

LETTER GRADE: C-

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I've been Freddy Thomas, you've been people reading. This has been an MLP Episode Review for The CC Network Blog, and I'll see you next week for the next review. Cheers!

MLP SEASON 6 PREVIEW AND PREDICTIONS

Back in 2010, if you asked anyone whether My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic would have lasted past its first season, I bet that many would have laughed at you, while also questioning why you would ask such a thing in the first place. Thanks to a loyal fanbase, high merchanside sales (both official and fan made) and a stellar production and writing team, this series has defied expectations. The brand of My Little Pony, which had long been seen as a gender stereotyping, shallow constructed, outdated dinosaur that had no place in modern animation culture, has morphed into a progressive, well received and once again lucrative property the likes of which it's creator Bonnie Zacherle could never have imagined. It's now gotten to a point, where the last remaining story arcs and plot points from the first season have now begun to resolve themselves, and with the 2017 feature film looming on the horizon, Season 6 begins a new era for the Friendship Is Magic generation of the pastel coloured pony show, one that could indeed prove pivotal in signalling the inevitable final curtain that seemingly draws ever closer with each passing year.

Therefore, with Season 6 only being a couple of days away, it's time to predict what this new collection of twenty six episodes will have to offer, with a selection of ten scenarios being put forward as my candidates. Of the ten I picked for last season that were due to appear in an unfinished video, I managed to get a few of them correct, with Rainbow Dash's solo musical number, the Cutie Mark Crusade's getting their cutie marks and the set-up for Cadence & Shining Armour's baby standing out. With the uncertainty on whether this will indeed be the last season, before the entire production team focuses its energy to get the feature film released in late 2017, Hasbro and DHX need to think long and hard about what this season will open and close during its run. Season 5 surprised many with its flashbacks to the first season and created continuity gold for this reviewer to continue marvelling over by its end. Lets hope Season 6 keeps the surprises coming, in some cases I pray, stemming from this list.

So... without further ado, here are the ten things that I, as a fan and reviewer would like to see occur this season, in no particular order:

A DISTANT APPLE FAMILY MEMBER ATTEMPTS TO CLAIM OWNERSHIP OF SWEET APPLE ACRES.

If there's one thing this series has had an abundance of, it's members of The Apple Family. From Ponyville to Manehatten and beyond, this farm fresh family has its relatives spread throughout the land of Equestria. However, after Season 3's "One Bad Apple" and "Apple Family Reunion", the larger than life family has taken a back seat, with Goldie Delicious's appearance in "Pinkie Apple Pie" being the only addition highlighted on the show since. With the focus on the individual members of the core Apple clan being evident over the last two seasons, with Granny Smith and Big Mac having an episode dedicated to them, it's time for one of those fringe family members to come out of the wood work and really make a mark, but not in the way many would expect. Mostly, because I'm sure that not all of the Family are as jovial and kind as their reunion made them out to be.

With another Apple Family Reunion as the stage, it will give the opportunity for a distant member of the clan to show their desire to get a piece of the pie that the family claims its name to, by wanting Sweet Apple Acres for themselves. While many would consider this concept to lack a lot of sense, mostly due to the backstory of Granny Smith highlighted in "Family Appreciation Day", may I remind you that with old age, the elder statespony of the family could easily have gotten some areas of the farms logistics and bureaucracy wrong and fabricated parts of her prior story. With Applejack, Apple Bloom and Big Mac out doing other things, they wouldn't have been around to resolve anything the elder mare could've had problems with. This would provide ample opportunity for Applejack to do what she's always wanted to do, own and run the farm herself. It would provide great antagonism against this unwelcome of bloodline guests and give a very tense episode where the morals around family values are asserted to an even bigger extent than before, as well as highlighting the trouble jealousy and greed for money and land ownership can have on ones ability to function.

Applejack has had umpteen episodes and moments dedicated to her personal and emotional growth, as well as her relationships with her family and friends. Now it's time to see all of that come to head in arguably the biggest moment of her life, fighting for the one true home she's known. How dramatic, indeed.

THE CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS HELP A NEW FILLY OR COLT SETTLE INTO PONYVILLE.

Season 5's undisputed 'holy grail' moment was The Cutie Mark Crusaders receiving their Cutie Marks after five seasons of trying. It helped "Raiders Of The Lost Mark" be the undisputed best episode of the season, without question. It was a fantastic moment, that even if some people weren't the most receptive to, embraced with open arms knowing the shows second longest running narrative arc (outside of Twilight's ascension to the Princess of Friendship) had finally come to an end. The question now is, what do the rambunctious trio do from here, now their goal has been reached? The fourth episode of Season 6 titled "On Your Marks" will shed some light on that and build the purpose for them going forward. With that, comes some interesting possibilities. One in particular that comes to mind, is how their newly discovered talent of helping ponies understand what their talents are would work in practice. That for me, means only one thing: bring forth new characters to instigate it.

They trialled this concept last season with Trouble Shoes in "Appleoosa's Most Wanted", but now they'll have to do it without assurance from Applejack, and start helping characters their age, like they did with Diamond Tiara in the aforementioned cutie mark gaining episode. There's not been a new child-age character in Ponyville permanently since the arrival of Pipsqueak in "Luna Eclipsed" back in Season 2, and with Babs Seed already sporting an unseen Cutie Mark, the Cutie Mark Crusaders will need someone to test their new talents on, and there's nothing better than a clean slate to do it. Say you have male and female twins, or a single character coming in, they would be just like the CMC's were, socially ostracised and outright nervous to be around people, having already been bullied before moving to Ponyville, only to be surprised that the CMC's are there to help them settle in with all the hurdles necessary coming to light. It would provide necessary growth for all three of the recently marked Crusaders and allow them to become fully fledged workers who eventually could be just like the Mane Six and travel the country helping those in need. However, you have to start somewhere, and home is the ideal place to experiment and hone their skills.

On top of that, we also have the follow-up from Diamond Tiara & Silver Spoon reforming last season, leaving the CMC's without an antagonist. What if that new pony they're helping grows to hate them? What if ANOTHER new character comes in to become the instigator for their problems going forward? Whatever happens, the CMC's lives and relationships with other fillies and colts will drastically change in the following episodes and seasons, therefore the new characters are wholly needed to ensure it happens smoothly, not taking up too much time in the process.

SPIKE GETTING TURNED INTO A PONY.

- Art by Alasou -

When "Princess Spike" came up during the infamous leak of last seasons episode running order, one thing immediately came to mind, which would be a great chance to make a long standing fan fiction and fan art staple become reality. That staple being that Spike could become a pony and try to run things while either Twilight is absent or is given a chance to experience how tough her job is. While the former was the entire basis of the episodes plot, alas he remained himself in the most formulaic of Spike episodes, focusing on his emotional wellbeing once again. This was greatly disappointing for those anticipating something different from the norm we've seen this character embroiled in from the beginning. Now, six seasons in, it's time to spice things up a bit and give us some experimentation that would truly be beneficial.

One may think at first glance, the idea of Spike becoming a pony should remain in the works of those artists and fan fiction writers, as it couldn't happen or make valid sense. That construct falls apart when you remember back at the first Great Galloping Gala in "The Best Night Ever", Twilight managed to turn some disgusting rats into elegant horses. If she could do it to vermin, then surely turning her long standing dragon assistant into one of her own kind isn't out of the question. The set-up could also be easy to grasp, Spike could be disinterested having to look after the Castle Of Friendship, and desires to join Twilight and the gang on their random assortment of adventures across Equestria. Either that, or it's some form of punishment to teach him a lesson after he badmouths her and her job, like I mentioned earlier. Whichever way, it would be the perfect way to have Spike feel what its like to be in everyone else's figurative shoes. Then when you factor in how the rest of Ponyville will react to knowing that Spike isn't naturally one of them, and you have a very interesting dynamic regarding social status and discriminatory views creating a serious tone for an episode that otherwise would have none.

While I'm confident that an episode surrounding what Spike does when the others are away dealing with Equestria's "friendship problems" will come around eventually, this season's "Gauntlet Of Fire" will seemingly be his major mark on this season, doing the same old schtick of him having to prove himself once again. The prospect of that makes me sad... hopefully it can be unlike its prior brethren and be with the time watching. 

A SPIKE SOLO MUSICAL NUMBER.

The number of characters who've had a significant role in a musical number in Friendship Is Magic is not as big as you may think, with twenty four individuals providing either verses, lines or even entire songs so far. Some of those choices came as a massive surprise, with John De Lancie's Discord and Weird Al Yankovic's Cheese Sandwich coming completely out of the blue in Season 4. To put the progression of the series' main characters into perspective, both of these guest stars got one (or in the case of Yankovic, multiple) songs before RAINBOW DASH got one, which was a travesty. Luckily, Rainbow finally got given a solo number for herself last season in 'I'll Fly', after supporting others in 'Find Your Pet', 'What My Cutie Mark Is Telling Me', 'A True, True Friend', 'Generosity' and 'Make This Castle A Home' respectively over the seasons two to five.

With that in mind, there's only one character yet to add their voices to the vocal and musical pantheon that Dan Ingram arranges together for this show: Spike. It's time for the plucky dragon to step out from the shadows and give it his all. With some vocal quality shown when he was backing vocalist to Twilight in Season 3 favourite 'The Failure Song', his upcoming episode already alluded to above will provide ample opportunity for a dramatic number establishing himself among his kind. If done right, it'll be a verbal showcase of how much he's grown since his last encounter with his species in Season 2's "Dragon Quest" and provide necessary closure for his lack of confidence that unusually remains prevalent in the shows writing.

With this season looking to be the biggest leap in growth for Spike, adding a musical number will solidify the episode as the defining one for him and this series, to show how far he's come since the first season threw his character into a barrel of stereotypes and cliches that nearly killed all respect for him. Hopefully this musical number can do his character justice, if it indeed happens. Whether it's Cathy Weseluck or someone else singing, they have a mighty job to do in order to make this one moment, that we will never forget.

THE REVEALING OF CELESTIA & DISCORD'S BACKSTORIES.

Friendship Is Magic has lasted for long enough to where most major characters have had their backstories explained. The Mane Six's early lives and cutie marks have been dabbled with, every villain has a reason for wanting to be evil, Cheese Sandwich proved everyone wrong and even Luna's position prior Nightmare Moon got looked at. Two major characters still have an aura of mystery about them, specifically Equestria's eternal ruler and her chaotic yet seemingly reformed jester.

There are many questions you can ask when it comes to these two, all of which would be must-watch stuff. In the case of Discord, you have to wonder whether he's the only Dragonequus, how did he come into existence in the first place, or how did he learn his magic? For Celestia, it's a matter of what she did to become supreme ruler of Equestria, and better yet, what was life like before she became the Princess she is today? Were both Luna and her normal ponies earning their stripes like Twilight did, or were they born into royalty? There's a lot of material here, and it will be great to analyse and understand. With the series lore still missing some key pieces, with it growing evermore each season, it's time they came out to the open.

As Discord becomes more reformed over the seasons, and Celestia's role diminishes as Twilight becomes the core focus of the Royal Family weekly, it will be a good reminder of just how deep and complicated these two characters are. By exploring either of them in depth, Hasbro and DHX would open up a wealth of opportunities that could make two of the best episodes not just of the season but of the entire series if they're chosen to be centred around these two long-standing, important characters.

BALLET AND DANCE BEING ADDED TO THE CULTURAL CAROUSEL.

- Art by Lindsay Cibos -

Equestria, the land they love as the song goes, is a cultural and artistic melting pot. They have done pretty much every possible event, whether it be sporting or dramatic in the television shows run, and even in the IDW comics, paired this show's characters with with the genre bending spectacle of pro wrestling, much to my delight. With this series showcasing musicals, classical theatre, rodeos, olympic style sporting events, print journalism, competitive racing, magic shows, formal balls, elaborate pop concerts and humongous parties so far, it's time for them to add another feather to the series cultural carousel. That feather specifically, is ballet and dance. It's inevitable that this artistic endeavour would be on the list to be tackled by the show, and with a recently released episode title being called "No Second Prances", it would be no surprise to me if dance is indeed the subject matter for it.

Sure, the title could just refer to the Mane Six being sent to an area of Equestria unseen before, say, Las Pegasus for example (or somewhere else completely) to help out a group of deer settle an argument, which would be interesting in its own right. Then again, to add more intrigue, those deer could be part of a ballet company or dance group, which would make sense as the animal has elegance in movement and lean physiques to fit the art form's cliche characteristics. Having Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and/or Rarity be involved, as they love choreography, performing on stage and costume design respectively, would make this episode have potential for story flowing out of every avenue available. It's an episode that on a musical, animation and writing front could be absolutely spectacular, all it would need is the right narrative and message to make it a surefire winner. What those could be escapes me, but at least on a visual and audio front, this is an episode idea that would be too good to turn down.

It may seem odd, that a man in his mid-twenties wants the stereotypically 'girliest' art form to be showcased in a series that has for the last four years shed its 'girls only' tag, while also putting the haplessly shoehorned feminine activities and tropes of Season 1's episodes to rest. However sometimes, something just needs to be done to continue to showcase the depth of a world created by the human mind. In the case of Friendship Is Magic, that world is already fit to bursting with cultural hobbies and careers that advertise its diverse populace, therefore it wouldn't hurt to add another for good measure.

RAINBOW DASH BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR BREAKING INTO AND TAMPERING WITH THE CLOUDSDALE WEATHER FACTORY.

If there's one thing that I need to stress, is that Season 5 had continuity rightfully served its alma mater through the series writing. It gave some cult favourites extra depth, tied up loose ends we forgot even existed and provided the series with a enamoured  sense of closure for its prior story arcs. With that being said, the way in which continuity was tackled last season needs to be continued, especially when it concerns a pivotal moment of that particular season that still resonates vividly.

"Tanks For The Memories" was one of the best episodes of Season 5, dealing with Rainbow Dash's emotions' regarding losing Tank to hibernation in a surprisingly desperate, fearful and selfish way that revived her old attitude from prior seasons with more of a bang than ever seen before. In the process of delaying the impending winter, she ended up causing the equipment in Cloudsdale's Weather Factory to malfunction and cause a storm of nuclear proportions. That act amounted to immense financial and structural damage as a result of the sudden and large winter, and yet somehow, no consequences seemed to be put on the boisterous Rainbow Dash at all by the time the episode ended, the fact of which has bothered me greatly since the season came to a close. Hopefully Season 6 can right those wrongs, and put the rainbow-maned pegasus, who had recently been through the turmoil of being accused of sabotage and deception in "Rarity Investigates", firmly back into the eye of the law, this time with nowhere to run. After having no real insight into the justice and penal system within the series run expect for the occasional banishment or two, this would be a great exploration into the grittier side of Equestria's usually friendly sociological system. Who are the kinds of people who commit crimes, what are certain crimes are punished with? Who is in charge of running and enforcing the system in the first place? Finally, and most importantly of all, will it set the standard for all future incidents?

It is often said that everybody must held accountable for their actions. It doesn't matter who you are, even if you are a renowned 'Crusader of Friendship' and Wonderbolt Reserve in the case of Ms. Rainbow Dash. Overall, the Friendship Is Magic series has been unusually kind whenever "shit goes down" as fans would put it. Now its time for those in Equestria to put the hammer down and rightfully give continuity the bone it deserves, by putting Rainbow Dash in shackles for the crimes of criminal trespass and destruction of property.

THE REVEALING OF RAINBOW DASH, FLUTTERSHY AND SCOOTALOO'S FAMILIES.

As this series has progressed, our knowledge of the Mane Six's backstories has steadily grown with it. We've seen Rarity and Sweetie Belle's parents eat breakfast with them, have Twilight's brother, mother and father make fleeting and occasionally important appearances every now and again, have the Pie Family become firm fan favourites through multiple episodes dedicated to them and have the entire Apple Family make their rounds a number of times throughout the shows run. One thing though, has yet to be done, which is the unveiling of Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy's families. After six seasons, it's time for the Cloudsdale born duo to have their relatives shown for all to see.

Who influenced Rainbow to be so competitive, who nurtured Fluttershy's shyness, do they both have brothers or sisters and more importantly are they still living in Cloudsdale or somewhere else entirely? Those are the questions that many will ask, and hope to have answered in whatever episode finally reveals them. While that would be fantastic, there is one other character that needs their genealogy finally confirmed, and that's Scootaloo. She's never been seen with a parent or sibling, is she therefore an orphan? Was she born in Cloudsdale or Ponyville? Is she really Rainbow Dash's sister, like many fan theories have claimed? It's another scenario that has been eating away at fans for years, and would be great to see resolved.

With this show on its sixth season, and the possibility of more following the 2017 feature film looking unclear at this time, Hasbro and DHX are running out of time to unveil these essential elements to the backstories of key characters. It's taken them awhile to get to this point without doing it, now its time to flip the switch and get it done.

INTRODUCE A MALE CHARACTER WITH STAYING POWER.

If there's one thing this show can attest itself to doing, it's being better than prior counterparts within its own franchise in showcasing likeable characters. Those characters are constructed on good virtues and come with complex, ever changing personalities, much unlike the series of old that stuck to cliches and stereotypes, barely moving from them and causing the product to become stagnant. However, one thing that never escapes my mind whenever I watch or talk about this show is a distinct lack of male characters that contribute to the show on a regular basis. When you look at Friendship Is Magic's cast, only Spike is ever present, while Discord and Big Mac provide back-up as supporting characters, with Shining Armour, Cranky, Mr. Cake, Doctor Whooves, The Flim Flam Brothers, Pipsqueak and Snips & Snails making fleeting appearances when necessary. When you take the male characters that appear in one episode and never return out of the equation, that is a HORRIBLE return in terms of gender balance, with TWELVE regular and semi-regular males being dwarfed by their female counterparts. This, coming from a show that is heralded and inclusive and has a HIGH amount of male fans watching, doesn't look very good. Many will argue that as the show's core demographic remains females aged between 5 and 10 years old, that the quota of male characters has to remain low to ensure it is kept. After seeing Spike's character being thrown in the dirt throughout the seasons, and a stark lack of respect for the majority of its male characters over time, I believe its time for this to change.

Where to place a central male character within the shows hierarchy is difficult to gauge. Spike is obviously the key male figure in the show, and you wouldn't want him to be usurped from his role. So therefore, having a new one be understated at first but progressively become more relevant to the show over the course of the series would be the best action to take. Getting a recurring guest star to voice them would increase their profile without having to amp it up in the writing unnecessarily, and the age of the character would define where he sits in episodes of the show going forward. Could he even be a proper love interest for one of the Mane Six that unlike Trenderhoof isn't a one episode entity? Who knows at this point, but this show has to rectify its balancing issues one way or another. Some may feel it is unnecessary, however for me it is vital to paint a better picture of gender diversity and respectability in a series that has been sorely lacking it since its inception.

While this may be a stretch to ask for, it's been something that continues to eat away at me. If they could show respect to a male character, and keep continuity for them going, I would be most satisfied.

DEAL WITH THE FATE OF APPLEJACK'S PARENTS AND THE SUBJECT OF DEATH HEAD ON.

Since the series beginning, we've been progressively getting more adult situations put into the episodes narratives to allow the shows audience to really get a grasp of the sociological dynamics of Equestria and the lore of the series as a whole. With Season 5 alone we got examples of a Marxist inspired brainwashing cult, losing a pet due to circumstances you can't control, diplomatic complications with another nation, social ostracisation through rumours and miscommunication and the re-writing of time itself to get back at someone who wronged them. It also showed immense growth of three child characters, as well as the announcement of new life being created in The Royal Baby. With all that in mind, this show has yet to tackle seriously, one issue that exists in canon. Back in Season 2's "Hearts And Hooves Day" and its standout song 'The Perfect Stallion', we saw the Cutie Mark Crusaders' interrupt a funeral. That is the only time, where death has been showcased as a canonical entity within the shows entire run. While the events of "Tanks For The Memories" served as a way to highlight the grieving process, with Tank's hibernation being used as a pseudo-death for the viewer to grasp it, for me, that was only a small dip into a much larger pool. It's time for this show to dive straight in to said pool and explore the reality of death within itself.

While many would consider me heartless for wanting to subject a young target audience to such a heartbreaking thing, which has become a 'rarity' (excuse the pun) in animation nowadays, hear me out. Cartoons are not just about the fun, wacky adventures but also about teaching those who watch them from a young age about how the world works and how to cope with it. Sadly, death can happen at any time, which means therefore it must be tackled no matter how saddening it will be. To say it's off limits because of the age is frankly absurd, because if you can expose young kids to the grieving process of losing a pet in one season, it seems logical to do the same to an adult pony too, so it can highlight growth and progression in the audience as well as the show itself. For me, this series has had one large unanswered question, symbolised by the screenshot above from the "Apple Family Reunion" episode, which is asking... what happened to Applejack, Big Mac and Apple Bloom's parents? It's something that has boggled the mind of many fans to this day, and with us approaching a sixth season without an answer, it's time for us to know... however, it must come at a price. While I would be fine with Granny Smith just telling them the story like many she has done before, with photographs and the like, the stakes need to be upped for a moment such as this. Even with Granny Smith being as active as she has been, Season 4's "Leap of Faith" brought the idea of her age into question. She can't be around forever, and her death will eventually come. To have the story of her grandchildren's parents be the last thing she tells before she passes would be the ultimate closure, especially if like I mentioned above, Applejack takes control of the farm fully from her. With her death, and the telling of the most anticipated story in the shows history, the backstory of the Apple Family can be finalised, before allowing her grandchildren to start a new era and history of their own, without her at their side.

To explore an actual character death or the subject of it with a TV-Y rating is a daunting task, but knowing the maturity of this shows writing staff, it would be reassuring to see them do it. They tackled Rainbow Dash's grief at 'losing' Tank with a serious tone that came across as incredibly natural and real, so I would expect them to carry it forward onto something much bigger such as this. While it would be sad to lose Granny Smith, it would be fitting as that with The Royal Baby, the season starts a new life, and closing it with one life finishing would be incredibly poetic and symbolic. As things start to change, not all will remain the same, even the longevity of its characters. It will also remind its audience, that not all lessons about friendship are sunshines, lollipops and rainbows. Sometimes, the hardest of moments are what brings people closer together, and the Apple Family's grief would resonate to empower that message more than ever. Seeing this show tackle this, will be a major leap forward, hopefully bringing a new lease of respect and maturity to a show and franchise that is routinely hated unfairly.

Back in 1986, Transformers, another Hasbro owned intellectual property, had the balls to kill off Optimus Prime in its animated movie. It was a scene that has since been widely regarded as one of the most hard hitting and acclaimed in animation history. Thirty years on from that fabled scene and My Little Pony's first animated outing, it's time for the franchise to really show how much it has grown, and finally be seen as something worth taking seriously. Whether it happens in this season or the 2017 feature film, doing the ultimate act of continuity based storytelling by killing off a character would finally make all fans of animation give this programme the respect it has earned justly over the last six years. All Hasbro and DHX need to do, is believe they have the capability to do it, then we will see if it comes out how they and we want it to. If it does, it could be a game changer in how an animated cartoon carries this subject, just like Optimus Prime's death was before it. Hopefully, unlike its older brother, this show makes the death permanent, as an everlasting testament to its quality over its older animated brethren.

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So there you have it. These ten choices may seem a bit out there, but they would definitely make Season 6 one to remember. Whether they end up being part of the story or not, we'll have to wait and see.

The last two seasons have raised the bar that this one will have to live up to, so will it be able to match them? Hopefully come Saturday, we will be in safe hands in seeing whether it starts out with a bang. The good news is, this blog will be there for every single episode. Each one will be given a comprehensive review coming out a few days after it airs, with an inevitable Top 10 Best & Worst Episodes Countdown coming to the main Youtube channel once it all comes to a close. It should be an exciting season ahead for us Bronies... lets hope it can live up to the hype.

I've been Freddy Thomas, you've been people reading. This has been the MLP Season 6 Preview and Predictions for The CC Network Blog, and I'll see you next time.