Fillies, Gentlecolts, and foals of all ages, welcome back to the My Little Pony Friendship is Magic review article. Well, where we left off in the season 2 wrap-up article, I did say that we’d see you in September. Yeah, well… I blame Hasbro entirely for this.
So, now we’ve finally entered into the third season of MLP, albeit a shrunken season. Only 13 episodes folks. And like the seasons prior, we’ve got a two part premiere on our hands. And thankfully we won’t have to wait a week for the finale. It’s a two part review as the ponies make their trip into the Crystal Empire. Was this their biggest adventure ever, or was it a bit too “sombre”? Let’s look into it.
Save an empire? Twilight wasn't prepared for this.
We open the episode at Canterlot castle, as Princess Celestia has been given info by one of her guards that “it” has returned. She sends for Twilight Sparkle, her #1 student. Twilight, due to being given very little information, believes that this is going to be some sort of regular test by the princess.
Upon arrival, she learns that she has been chosen by Celestia (and not so much by Luna) to go to the crystal empire, which has been sighted in the Equestria Arctic for the first time in a millennium. Twilight knows nothing of this empire, but Celestia tells her what little she recalls.
The Crystal Empire was once a beautiful peaceful home to crystal ponies. These ponies had bodies that shined like crystals (duh) due to the love and happiness they had. But that all changed when an evil unicorn by the name of King Sombra enslaved the ponies. However, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were able to defeat the king, and turn him into a shadow of his former self.
The newest shadowy foe of the ponies
Celestia tasks Twilight and her friends to go and join up with Cadance and Shining Armor at the empire, and that it must be Twilight and Twilight alone who saves the day. We then get our first song of the premiere, as Twilight laments on not being prepared for such a task. She tells her friends that they’re off to the Crystal Empire
Upon making it there, they’re greeted by Twilight’s brother Shining Armor, who warns them to get to the empire fast. And just as that happens, we see the shadowy figure of King Sombra as he chases the ponies.
Twilight and Cadance also get to reuinite (even singing the “Sunshine, Sunshine, Ladybugs Awake” rhyme). However, this isn’t such a happy occasion, as Cadance is running out of energy as she is the only one who can keep the force field over the empire to keep King Sombra out. With little time, Twilight believes that maybe what one of the things Celestia wanted was a research paper about how to save the empire.
Rarity dreams of a crystal future
However, their attempts to gather any form of intel turns out to be all for naught, as none of the Crystal ponies can remember their past, and are too sad and afraid to want to remember. The gang tries the library to find any answer at all.
They manage to find a book about the crystal fair, an event where the crystal ponies use their happiness and magic to keep the empire safe from evil. So, with the 2nd song playing, the ponies devise a plan to set up the fair with everything from crystal berry sweets, a petting zoo with tiny ewes, and even a crystal flugelhorn.
They set up the event without much of a hitch, with the most important piece being a crystal heart in the centre of the empire, which Twilight made herself. The spirits of the crystal ponies begin to get better, and their coats go from greyed and drab, to bright and vibrant.
Cadance's batteries run out
However, there is a snag to this plan. It turns out that the crystal heart is a real relic. The very relic needed to power up the empire’s love. Twilight didn’t exactly know of this oversight since the last page of the book is missing. How convenient.
If that wasn’t bad enough, Cadance’s magic begins to weaken, and King Sombra, whose shadow has now covered the entire land, now sets his sights on reclaiming his empire.
Are the ponies doomed? Is there no hope for the Crystal Empire? And can Twilight save the day? Find out in the part two review, where I’ll run down that episode, and give the pros and cons for both parts, as well as the rating.