WARNING: This post is from AFTER seeing the episode and it will discuss things from the episode. If you don't want any more spoilers, stop reading
I didn't take the time to check who the writer was for this one, but I feel like they did a great job with it. Especially because I'm pretty sure the mere existence of the episode is a shout-out to the older fans. I don't think they'ed have bothered to bring Trixie back normally. It wouldn't have meant anything to the original* target audience. They wouldn't remember Trixie almost two full seasons later.
I'll start with the obvious one: Trixie. Frankly, this was the only version of Trixie I could have accepted them bringing back. She was still full of herself, and back with a vengeance. So really, it was the same old Trixie we knew from before.
Staying on the theme of the characters, I liked how they handled Twilight as well. She could have obsessed over failing and broken down to where she was utterly useless.
We've seen this before. It was refreshing that she was able to keep her cool and actually go learn something (and from a source of magic that she previously discredited no less).
Another thing I liked was that they
didn't just just RAINBOW OF DEATH to solve the problem. Especially after they kinda suggested that they might. Maybe I was just not thinking hard enough this morning, but I actually didn't think she was just playing tricks when she showed up Trixie. I actually thought she had learned that stuff. Which was actually a bit unsettling to me, because it felt like too much adnvancing in her magic for one episode. Then I felt kinda stupid when they revealed what they had done, because I really should have seen that coming, when they didn't go all Elements of Harmony on her. Also, when I thought about it more after the episode, that wouldn't have even worked. They couldn't have forcibly removed the necklace from Trixie, even with their combined magic.
That said, when I thought Twilight was really doing those spells, I thought AJ's reaction to being turned into a stallion was pretty funny. But once it hit me that it was actually Big Mac, it took on a whole new level. He was so embarrassed to be out there painted like his sister. I guess it's the same kind of awkward embarrassment, but it just really struck me funny.
My biggest question about the episode is why the Alicorn Amulet even exists? And why was it just in some obscure market like that?
As worried as I was to have the Trixie episode coming around, I really am very pleased with how it was handled. I'd put this as one of my favorites in a while.
*Based off what we've gotten this season so far as a whole, plus the slight shift in product marketing/availability, I'm pretty convinced now that the target audience has shifted somewhat. I feel like most of Season 1 was a kid's show with some stuff older viewers would appreciate so they wouldn't feel sick watching it with their kids. Season 2 was kind of an awkward phase, or perhaps a transitional phase. Season 3 feels more grown-up to me. I feel like it's either equally targeted at the older and younger audiences, or verging on targeted toward the older audiences but written so the younger viewers can still enjoy it and get something out of it.
