• Season Two, Episode 4: Luna Eclipsed (AKA BEST EPISODE #2) Discussion

    by
    AFTER ALMOST A YEAR OF BEING COMPLETELY ABSENT, THE GLORIOUS ARCH-QUEEN LUNA HAS RETURNED, BOW BEFORE HER, AND FOLLOW THIS POST FOR EPISODE STREAMS AND UPDATES. 

    YOU FOALS


    Saturday, October 22, 2011 op
    Labels: , ,
    Open in app
    Share This! Facebook Share Twitter Share

    1,354 comments:

    1. AnonymousOctober 22, 2011 at 5:44 PM

      This comment has been removed by the author.

      ReplyDelete
    2. AnonymousOctober 22, 2011 at 5:49 PM

      It was the best episode ever. Finally, we get a feel of the true personality of Princess Luna. I hope we can expect more appearances of our Princess of the Night. Talk about irony for poor RD, getting lightning bolted in the end. :)

      ReplyDelete
    3. PinkaviaOctober 22, 2011 at 5:49 PM

      I thought the episode was great.

      It would impossible to fully develop luna in one episode so the medieval side fits in fine perfectly.

      The few modern bits of her make me want to see her again this season to see her true modern character but honestly she wil be like trixie. A character development cliffhanger for next season

      ReplyDelete
    4. ZeroCerealOctober 22, 2011 at 5:55 PM

      Why this is now my favorite episode ever:

      1. Scarecrow Ocatavia
      2. Canon Luna is hilarious
      3. Fluttershy scene = best thing I've seen in any cartoon in my LIFE.
      4. Best Derpy derp in the series to date!
      5. Lol Pinkie is a chicken...

      ReplyDelete
    5. Killsteal_WolfOctober 22, 2011 at 5:56 PM

      I think the thing that I like about the show is that it shows one of the shows greatest points. Strong Characterisation. Out of all the peoples predictions on what Luna's personality was going to be like. Not a single person got Luna's Personality right. The Development Team was able to create a completely unique personality for Luna. Kudos team, kudos for doing that.

      Hopefully we shall see more Luna sooner rather than later, but if you are going to add more and more unique characters to this universe. Then do so!

      Also for the episode itself, only down-point was no Rarity in it. That's basically it in my books. Luna was brilliant, Pinkie Pie was Hilarious, Twilight was Adorkable, Rainbow Dash was Mischievious, But I think the Return of Zecora impressed me the most. Welcome back my favourite Zebra Friend. This is what I want for Luna's next appearance. Just an unannounced appearance, not in the title or synopsis or anything. She just shows up and meshes into the episode.

      Now one request, a Song Soon maybe? We are 4 episodes in and we still haven't had one. Not even a Short Song. Next episode is Sweetie Belle and Rarity, give them a Duet.

      ReplyDelete
    6. un1c0rnOctober 22, 2011 at 5:57 PM

      I hope they banish the royal we after this episode though. I DIDN'T KNOW YOU COULD SPEAK WITH CAPS LOCK HOWEVER. BUT LUNA MANAGES TO ANYHOW, ALL IN ALL I HOPE SHE'LL BE BACK THIS SEASON FOR MORE EPICNESS.

      ReplyDelete
    7. ToonicornOctober 22, 2011 at 5:57 PM

      Wow...just...wow..just...WOW!!!!!!

      Luna is AWE and THEN some!!!!!

      Laura, Rob and Company knocked it out of the park!!!!

      I too deplore the lack of Rarity...but..maybe that was her in the ghost costume? Oh well, this was just such a beautiful, and I mean BEAUTIFUL episode. The animation and production design just blew me away. Plus, I could see the power and majesty and anxiety and vulnerability in Luna, and who could ask for more than that? And as for Pinkie Pie...at first I was getting annoyed with her, because she kept freaking out and messing up Luna's attempt to be accepted...but then she pointed out the obvious to Twilight...that it's FUN to be scared sometimes. BEST HALLOWEEN EPISODE EVER!!! We were QUITE amused!

      I just wanna see Luna and Celestia in an episode together! That would rock!!!

      ReplyDelete
    8. PrincessColumbia_oldOctober 22, 2011 at 6:03 PM

      Just getting to the comment thread for the first time today due to [spoilery spoilerific!] going on in the meantime, but I just gotta say...

      ...I want Abacus!

      ReplyDelete
    9. ToonicornOctober 22, 2011 at 6:03 PM

      OH, and Zecora was FANTASTIC!!! Wonderfully voiced and animated. She was totally in her element (which would be the element of...hoodoo?) I like to think that she's a Wiccan. And her mane was awesome too. It'd be cool, I think, if it became her permanent mane-do. :)

      ReplyDelete
    10. AnonymousOctober 22, 2011 at 6:06 PM

      @kk0425
      I don't see any reason to assume "Winter Wrap-Up", or even "Fall Weather Friends", takes place before "Luna Eclipse". For starters, shouldn't the CMC be older if it's been 15-16 months since "Mare in the Moon"?

      ReplyDelete
    11. ScribsOctober 22, 2011 at 6:09 PM

      I like to think Trollestia sent Luna to Ponyville witout really telling her anything about how Equestria has changed. xDDDD

      ReplyDelete
    12. CelestialNostosOctober 22, 2011 at 6:10 PM

      Since Luna can transform to NMM at will, does anyone think that perhaps both sisters have a 'magical' form they can use (for intimidation or otherwise), with Luna preferring her original look, and Celestia having an affinity for her 'magical' form? (Meaning, she has a form where she's like Luna, probably with the pink mane and everything, but chooses to never use it again). An interesting theory at least.

      In addition, does anyone think that Luna's personality is the same fandom Luna we've all come to love, at least, when she is on her own/with celestia? For example, I noticed when she is looking at her statue after being rejected by Ponyville, she has a clear sad expression on her face. It's only when Twilight calls out to her that her 'regal mode' is engaged. Same thing happens with the bridge scene as far as I remember. A few other times, she has a softer demeanour, making me think that most of the attitude she displayed was merely a 'mask'... Depending on how some of the fics are written, that would still make them canon, as it seems Luna only turns on 'regal mode' in front of strangers/subjects.

      ReplyDelete
    13. FreeTibet202October 22, 2011 at 6:11 PM

      My favorite part was Twilight adjusting her costume after Luna was yell/talking to her. Such a subtle visual gag but I can't help but laugh every time I've seen it.

      ReplyDelete
    14. HydraOctober 22, 2011 at 6:12 PM

      Gah with each new episode I keep having to re BEST EPISODE EVER!!! Oh may it never end :D

      ReplyDelete
    15. Echoed WailsOctober 22, 2011 at 6:24 PM

      I saw a Dinky look-a-like. I know it was just a coincidence that Zecora called Pipsqueak "Little pip," but I wish it was a shout out to Fallout: Equestria.

      I am okay with their official Luna. I hope she shows up more often. Mayhaps tone down the Ye Olde Butchered Englishe (tm)? Other than that, two thumbs up!

      ReplyDelete
    16. Echoed WailsOctober 22, 2011 at 6:27 PM

      Also, since I TLDR the thread, anyone see that wolf that had the chicken in its mouth? Somewhat humorous in hindisght.

      ReplyDelete
    17. TaliaOctober 22, 2011 at 6:37 PM

      This episode was excellent. Can't wait for the next one!

      ReplyDelete
    18. DRTJROctober 22, 2011 at 6:38 PM

      WHY MUST ALL DOWNLOADS BE .MKV
      it always does erk me

      ReplyDelete
    19. ISuckAtCallOfDutyOctober 22, 2011 at 6:39 PM

      I love this episode. I had no expectations for what they were going to do with Luna, and what they ended up doing with her was perfect. It was hilarious and wonderful to see her try to fit back into pony society after 1000 years. Pinkie Pie was a constant source of hilarity, and Fluttershy's scene was probably one of the best scenes in the entire show so far. Now I just have to wait till next Satur . . . wait . . . there's no episode next Saturday? WE ARE NOT PLEASED!!

      ReplyDelete
    20. KkatOctober 22, 2011 at 6:45 PM

      @Echoed Wails

      You know, it is entirely possible that "Little pip" is both a Charles Dickens reference and a bit of FOE fanservice. The last two episodes have tossed in a lot of polite waves to fanon, and while I doubt any of the MLP: FiM staff actually read Fallout: Equestria, it would be virtually impossible for them to know as much about brony fanon as they do without having run across mention of Littlepip.

      ReplyDelete
    21. aldarizOctober 22, 2011 at 6:46 PM

      this episode.

      so good...

      ReplyDelete
    22. HolicOctober 22, 2011 at 6:56 PM

      Luna's personality was too perfect. As far as Rarity, she wouldn't be seen dead in a gaudy nightmare night costume, hence her lack of presence.

      ReplyDelete
    23. GraywandOctober 22, 2011 at 7:07 PM

      When I saw Dash generating lightning, I thought "Damn it Rainbow, I don't think the pronghorns taught you lightning so you'd be an asshole"

      ReplyDelete
    24. shadowfalcon76October 22, 2011 at 7:07 PM

      Things that made this episode for me:

      -Luna, of course. I like the fact that her ride and guards is rather goth and metal all at once. If she really does have her own place, it'll be suitably goth and metal. AND SHE APPARENTLY LISTENS TO HEAVY METAL GIVEN HOW SHE SEEMS TO ALWAYS BE IN LOUD CONCERT MODE. Also, that invisible air megaphone she has while talking in the Royal Canterlot Voice™ could also double as a breath weapon if utilized properly (sonic energy, naturally).

      -Mortal Kombat background pony (Ermac) is a nice Easter egg.

      -Derpy's costume is funny. She dressed up as a 40 oz. Either that, or she was still playing Edward 40hands when she went with Carrot Top to go dunking for apples.

      -Gratuitous amounts of Dinky. Also: CMC hiding in the background as a vampire, werewolf, and the bride of Frankenstein was a nice bit of "Where's Waldo" for us.

      -Pinkie Pie is best chicken. Sorry Scootaloo, you've been out-clucked.

      -Zecora's enchantress outfit reminded me a lot of the drow from D&D, specifically the motif they tend to exhibit in artwork reflecting their worship of Lolth, the Spider Queen, their goddess. Nice touch there.

      All in all, really solid episode. Now, if they would not just bus her, I'd really like to see more of Luna in various episodes over the course of the season in roles akin to Celestia's various appearances. Minor, not too screen-grabbing, but definitely in-focus enough to get more of a feel of her day-to-day characterization.

      ReplyDelete
    25. Batty GloomOctober 22, 2011 at 7:12 PM

      There isn't much more I can say that hasn't already been said, so I'm just going to say this.

      I had bat wings before it was canon.

      Oh yeah...

      ReplyDelete
    26. SonofMrPeanutOctober 22, 2011 at 7:15 PM

      Well, it was a good episode. I loved watching Luna in this episode embracing her place in the modern world, and Pinkie was priceless in her Scootaloo costume, and Shadowbolt Dash was always good for a laugh. Also, I love Pipsqueak now. ^_^ However, two things I desperately wanted to see weren't present:

      1. No Rarity costume! Considering she's a freaking fashion designer, I assumed featuring her in an episode with costumes was a no-brainer. Future plot, maybe.

      2. A song! As a big social event, this episode seemed ripe for a group number. Plus, the fact we haven't had a song 4 episodes in makes it worse.

      ReplyDelete
    27. SonofMrPeanutOctober 22, 2011 at 7:17 PM

      @SonofMrPeanut

      Oh, I forgot: Zecora! She's back and embracing her scary side. Love it. ^_^

      ReplyDelete
    28. Municipal EnginesOctober 22, 2011 at 7:18 PM

      Does anyone else find it kind of irritating how, after his very first appearance, Pipsqueak has something of an English accent then in subsequent appearances throughout the episode, it's basically gone?

      ReplyDelete
    29. Echoed WailsOctober 22, 2011 at 7:19 PM

      Did anyone else here the song that the band was playing? It sounded vaguely like the theme from that old TV show "The Munsters."

      ReplyDelete
    30. GayettixOctober 22, 2011 at 7:19 PM

      This is so fucking epic, today was international capslock day and Luna is going full capslock, just epic!!

      ReplyDelete
    31. StormcallerOctober 22, 2011 at 7:29 PM

      Loved this episode, was funny to watch, great seeing the characters all dressed up. Can't wait for more holiday episodes. Also, this Luna works for me. Fits well I think. As for fanfic Luna's well, they are Fanfic Luna's. After all, last time I checked Rainbow Dash wasn't jumping everyponies bones every episode. So Fanfic Luna's work on their own.

      Now, for those others like me who are late to the party and don't want to go through 1230 posts. The following is the short version of what some of the comments contained:

      OMG LUNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaa!
      MAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAhahahahahaaaa!

      Luna is best pony!

      Luna Y U so awesome?!

      They ruined LUNA FOREVER!!!!

      Poor Wuna fanponies are sad.

      LUNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!

      Commercials y u no like Luna?

      Luna is Trixie.

      Body. Ready. Yes.

      DERPY!!!

      This has been a public service announcement. We now return you to your regular blogging.

      Also, Pinkie Pie is best pony and best chicken.

      ReplyDelete
    32. KayubeOctober 22, 2011 at 7:31 PM

      An idea I had... Someone who's good at Flash should make a Flash page like the ones at the end of Homestar Runner Halloween cartoons with all the ponies in their costumes, where you can hover over them to see what the costume is. And maybe they'd say a quote when you click on them.

      ReplyDelete
    33. AnonymousOctober 22, 2011 at 7:45 PM

      (not going to read all posts so dont know if this was said)

      we saw luna turn back into nightmare moon and then back to her current state so she has atleast 3 forms them
      her small form from episode two her current which i guess would be the same state as Celestia is kinda like a Mid form (just think celestia is natually bigger cause shes more powerful and such)

      so i wonder if this is the case if we will ever get to see Celestia first form, with her current being the 2nd, and if she has an armor form

      ReplyDelete
    34. SIaanmeOctober 22, 2011 at 7:49 PM

      Fridge Brilliance that no-one else has mentioned:Of course Pinkie Pie was only pretending to be scared the whole time. If she was actually scared, she'd be giggling at the ghosties.

      ReplyDelete
    35. The CommanderOctober 22, 2011 at 8:00 PM

      Okay, so Luna wasn't the Luna we were entirely expecting (although I recall someone writing a realistic Luna fic at some point), and I know we were all hoping for a d'awwwww woona. but, the realistic Luna was probably the best one to go with

      ReplyDelete
    36. KkatOctober 22, 2011 at 8:02 PM

      @Batty Gloom

      WooHoo! Go Batty Gloom! ^.^

      ReplyDelete
    37. Jonny ManzOctober 22, 2011 at 8:03 PM

      @Tyranoman
      Actually, they were all there.

      ReplyDelete
    38. MasqueradeOctober 22, 2011 at 8:08 PM

      Wow.
      Great episode and all, but I HATE Luna's new voice...

      ReplyDelete
    39. HMorris73October 22, 2011 at 8:13 PM

      @Gekkey
      @LucenNox
      Twilight did mention something about getting her cape cleaned in "Lesson Zero" though, which might indicate it takes place after that.

      ReplyDelete
    40. AnonymousOctober 22, 2011 at 8:27 PM

      I was a bit disappointed with this episode. Unlike previous installments, which tried to at least address potential plot holes (for example: telling us why Applejack's extended family isn't around after the pilot, or why Fluttershy is terrified of dragons when she earlier gushed over Spike), this one almost doesn't seem to care. After watching this Luna centered episode I still don't know the following: what she has been doing all this time, why she talks like a medieval english stereotype when Nightmare Moon did not, and why Celestia hasn't already tried to help Luna fit in. My suggestion for fixing the episode would be to cut Pip out and use his screen time to fix the aforementioned problems.

      Overall I'd give this episode a 2.5/5, an average My Little Pony: FiM installment. The average episode of this show is better than most good episodes on other programs, so I'm not mad about that. My body is ready for next week btw!

      ReplyDelete
    41. HMorris73October 22, 2011 at 8:30 PM

      @P. Pony Ponyson
      Her voice fluctuated a lot throughout the episode, there were a few moments when she reverted to something close to how she sounded in her original line.

      ReplyDelete
    42. BlindOctober 22, 2011 at 8:31 PM

      @Municipal Engines

      No, not really. I was under the impression that his English accent was part of his pirate role playing. Which would explain why he began using it with less frequency as the night progressed.

      ReplyDelete
    43. Nova25October 22, 2011 at 8:33 PM

      @Cassie Truman
      Hey ?

      Pipsqueak was an adorable little foal... really don't know from what corner of the world this hate comes from, but tone it down, ok ?

      ReplyDelete
    44. AnonymousOctober 22, 2011 at 8:35 PM

      @ProBrono

      You're probably right, and that does make me feel a little bit better about the episode. The whole thing was one big miscommunication. Maybe it'll be better if I rewatch it. That morning wasn't the best anyway.

      ReplyDelete
    45. AnonymousOctober 22, 2011 at 8:37 PM

      @JKel

      sorry to say there is no episode next week :C

      ReplyDelete
    46. EonMasterOctober 22, 2011 at 8:37 PM

      @P. Pony Ponyson you do realize that it's the same VA right? She's supposed to sound me regal now, and comes from a time when you spoke to commoners differently. So, ofc she wouldn't be talking to them the same as she did to hr sister because that's not what she's used to.

      Anyways, I prefer her new vocal style, it fits her position better.

      ReplyDelete
    47. Pete GordonOctober 22, 2011 at 8:40 PM

      Another episode further solidifying my belief that season 2 will never have the same innocence and beauty that made season 1 great.

      ReplyDelete
    48. Nova25October 22, 2011 at 8:40 PM

      @Truthseeker
      Oh, wow ?

      The heck is your problem ? Politely said.
      Seriously ?

      Are you really seeking problem with me or something like that ?

      Here's *MY* words :
      >Luna's voice is... I don't know ? ...a bit too deep for her, I would say. Still, not so bad.

      Here's what my words means to someone not seeking to make *Mountains out of molehills* :
      >I had imagined that Luna's voice would have been slightly higher in term of 'tone'. I Still find it good/'ok' though.

      ...I don't know why *YOU* seek a fight like that ? So just calm yourself and think twice BEFORE jumping on people, ok ?

      ReplyDelete
    49. shadefoxOctober 22, 2011 at 8:41 PM

      Liked it. Liked the details about Luna with old fashion speech. Especially liked the detail of how she doesn't walk, so much as 'prances', pulling her forelegs up high with each step. A very show horse thing.

      The speech however could have done with a bit of smoothing out at parts. Sometimes it sounded very unnatural.

      ReplyDelete
    50. TJGOctober 22, 2011 at 8:41 PM

      Apparently Rarity's scene was cut, as LF explained. Ironically, she's still in the episode (her voice actor, anyways), as Princess Luna and Rarity are both voiced by Tabitha St. Germain. Maybe the deleted scene will make it to the DVD/Blu-ray release or something.

      Great episode, by the way. They nailed it with Luna's personality.

      ReplyDelete
    51. Nova25October 22, 2011 at 8:45 PM

      @Meganerdbomb
      My words were that Ep.4 was far greater than Ep.3, of course to my opinion.

      Mostly because everything in Ep.4(the new one) was great and charming.

      That's all.

      ReplyDelete
    52. HMorris73October 22, 2011 at 8:51 PM

      @Pete Gordon
      That's too bad, it seems like a lot of people who thought that way before were reassured by this ep.

      ReplyDelete
    53. BlindOctober 22, 2011 at 8:52 PM

      @JKel

      Just because something is not explained to the viewer does not mean it is a plot hole. I believe the story writer(s) did a good job in reintroducing Luna into the series without getting caught up in answering a bunch of questions for the fans. That would of been a plot hole, if Luna, who has yet to have a set friendship with anyone from Poniville to just start answering personal questions or for her to monologue. Us not knowing where's she's been or her relationship with Celestia makes it feel more natural and leaves it to be addressed for another episode.
      As to her CAPSLOCK MODE, she explained it. It is the traditional way for royalty to speak and now that she has been restored as royalty, she's following tradition. It's just no one bothered to tell her that things aren't done that way any longer...Celestia you stinker,lol.

      ReplyDelete
    54. YixionOctober 22, 2011 at 8:53 PM

      Do i have to send in my video through email for the YT streams?

      ReplyDelete
    55. UnknownOctober 22, 2011 at 8:54 PM

      I thoroughly enjoyed the episode, and I'm now going through the 1080p version checking out the costumes. Amazing attention to detail, making sure that there were no repeats and such.

      However, I have to wonder at the implications behind Luna's behavior. There's three interpretations I see:

      Normal Celestia - Celestia is a bit of a schemer, and considered Twilight better suited to explaining to Luna how to address her subjects. Consider that Twilight is the only person that treats Celestia 'normally', everyone else has the sort of reverence for the Princess that they show Luna, only without the abject fear. Celestia couldn't exactly take Luna out for a stroll to help her acclimate because everyone in Canterlot would have fallen into a catatonic state at the sight of the sisters together. They don't use the traditional Royal Canterlot voice amongst themselves, and they didn't attend functions together, so it didn't occur to her to warn her about the volume thing. Perhaps guards are better used to it and so they didn't flinch when she asked for a ride?

      Trollestia - "Oh sure, the ponies in Ponyville will just LOVE you showing up for Nightmare Night! Remember to use the royal voice, our subjects love it!" I don't think I need to elaborate on this interpretation. Celestia is doing it for the lulz.

      Tyrant Celestia - The best way to keep a political opponent from becoming a risk is to make sure they have no support. Same as Trollestia, only for the evulz and to perpetuate her iron-hoofed rule.

      Beyond what it says about Celestia, I find it hard to place the episode in the continuum. It doesn't make sense that her first appearance after an year or so would be like this. Of course, if we assume there was no hiatus between Season 1 and Season 2 in Equestria, and Twilight has been sending a report each week, and we've seen every report she sent, then this episode would happen something like six months after NMM's defeat, not an year. Still, that would also mean that Equestria has faced two reality threatening dangers in six months. You'd expect a sharp increase of doomsday cults when your world is threatened with this regularity. Ponies are tough.

      Finally, I'm a little concerned that they're letting the holiday continue as if nothing had happened. This is a holiday where people remember how NMM turned against the ponies, and the only way they'll accept Luna is if she goes through the motions every year. Yes, being scared can be fun, but rubbing someone's greatest failing in their face, year after year? That can be a bit mean. A point for Tyrant Celestia I guess.

      ReplyDelete
    56. BitmunOctober 22, 2011 at 9:01 PM

      Something which should be mentioned; Just because it's a holiday based on Nightmare Moon doesn't mean that it takes place a fair bit after the pilot; Remember, it wasn't like Nightmare Moon didn't exist, she was just an old mare's tale. (Tail?) Which makes a lot more sense than this holiday being developed out of the real Nightmare Moon, especially considering the big festival at the end of the Pilot.

      Opinions on the episode? It's aesop was a bit muddled throughout, but it was an episode with a good heart and a fine, proper bit of lessoning for the kids. It was also very entertaining, with, as the show is known for, some excellent character work; Luna was spot on the mark and evolved naturally throughout, and is one of my new favorite side-characters, while Pinkie, (TIME IS CANDY!) Twilight, (I'm going to lecture her!) Applejack, Rainbow, Zecora etc. Were perfectly done. Lack of Rarity, though not exactly...
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0dOtzZcm0I
      Was still a downside, though we still got the excellent performance of Tabitha St. Germain, who performed with grace and ROYAL EXCELLENCE!

      ReplyDelete
    57. Menelaus RedzOctober 22, 2011 at 9:27 PM

      @Killerowl

      You can see Lyra at about 14:39 wearing a bonnet. Shortly after one of those spiders attack Carrot Top's face


      Yup, this was a good episode to relax to after working all day. Can't wait until the next one!

      And Yay for the Gala Quartet being shown again! (assuming that is actually them)

      ReplyDelete
    58. ert23October 22, 2011 at 9:40 PM

      But this is the traditional royal Canterlot voice! It is tradition to speak, using the royal "we", and TO USE THIS MUCH VOLUME WHEN ADDRESSING OUR SUBJECTS!

      ReplyDelete
    59. MoonshineOctober 22, 2011 at 9:45 PM

      I... am really mixed on this episode. I mean, I love poor Luna being so completely out of touch with modern times and so incredibly socially awkward, but... Pinkie Pie exacerbated the problem to a HUGE degree by pretending to be scared and scaring the foals (which, hey, fun for them was misery for Luna). She was completely unrepentant about making Luna so unhappy too, which makes her an even bigger troll than Rainbow Dash was in the ep. Frankly, I thought Pinkie was being kind of a bitch. I spent most of the episode wanting to punch her.

      ReplyDelete
    60. Menelaus RedzOctober 22, 2011 at 9:46 PM

      Oh and I also wanted to say that I really like the fact that they had their own version of Punkin Chunkin'.

      ReplyDelete
    61. EquineNoxXOctober 22, 2011 at 9:55 PM

      @EquineNoxX Oops. I guess I must stand self corrected. Given that nopony else haven't corrected me already without me noticing it. I just realized that the CMC really ARE in this episode. Hey what can I say? They're all disguised! And they're gooood! ;)

      ReplyDelete
    62. Cedric BaleOctober 22, 2011 at 9:57 PM

      >Little Pip
      I freaked when Zecora said that.

      I kind'a expected to be a bit disappointed with Luna's characterization, but I'm pleasantly surprised. That said, I hope fanfic writers continue to write with the various fanon Lunas.

      It also occurs to me that Luna now has more official characterization than Celestia. Celestia needs an episode dedicated to her. :<

      ReplyDelete
    63. SomeGuyOctober 22, 2011 at 10:11 PM

      Loved the Episode. Loved all the costumes and trying to recognize all the ponies in costume. They did a great job of Pony-fying Halloween. The comedy was spot on. Zecora was awesome and a nice surprise. Pipsqueak was cute. The score flowed well.

      I liked Luna. I like that she used Royal speak since she is 1000 years out of date. I really felt for her trying so hard (maybe to hard) to act the part of a Princess and to get the ponies to like her, only for it to backfire. Her entrance was dramatic and her cloak turning into bats was cool.

      And Pinkie Pie, just so you know Role playing only works when you let everypony else know you are only role playing.

      Overall great episode. Now the two week wait for Episode 5 begins.

      ReplyDelete
    64. MidwestBronyOctober 22, 2011 at 10:27 PM

      Alright, this comment is late, so few will probably read it, but I just wanted to possibly explain why Luna refers to herself as "we" and "us." I believe I learned in school (shocker) a while ago that old kings and other royalty referred to themselves in plural as they were believed to be part god. So when they said "us" and "we" and the like, they were referring to their human and god halves together.

      Also, I loved this episode. Completely restored my faith in this season after ep 3 made me shaky.

      ReplyDelete
    65. shadefoxOctober 22, 2011 at 10:52 PM

      @MidwestBrony
      Actually, I think it was less being 'part god', and more saying "God and I" as two separate individuals.

      ReplyDelete
    66. NikitaDarkstarOctober 22, 2011 at 11:07 PM

      She's such a prankster. Luna and Rainbow Dash should so team up next year.

      Such an epic episode!! :D

      ReplyDelete
    67. HMorris73October 22, 2011 at 11:18 PM

      @Moonshine
      I don't think she ever fully realized what was going on with Luna. She always ran off before she could see her reaction, and it's not like Twilight took the time to explain it. She was willing to be friendly with her until Dash's lightning startled her again.

      Also, why do people keep saying Pinkie was pretending to be scared? Pretending to be scared isn't fun, letting yourself be scared when you know deep down there's no real danger is.

      ReplyDelete
    68. AnonymousOctober 22, 2011 at 11:19 PM

      This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

      ReplyDelete
    69. Weim_TimeOctober 22, 2011 at 11:22 PM

      @Fooby

      best episode everrrrr

      ReplyDelete
    70. AnonymousOctober 22, 2011 at 11:31 PM

      What a great episode. One the best so far. Sorry Scootaloo, Pinkie Pie is the best chicken.Luna was awesome. We need more Luna. Poor Fluttershy, she ought to give Nightmare Night a chance. Needed more Rarity.

      ReplyDelete
    71. AlyeskabirdOctober 22, 2011 at 11:57 PM

      Oh dear, I am sure some will disagree with me, but this is quite a lovely eppisode. I am not sure how much thay really took from us, but I expect there was at lest a little. I rather loved how tentative, and confused she was. How much she feared rejection and hate. She just wanted people to like her. Most of her seeming evil acts where more trying to speak and act a thousand years out of date, and totaly culturaly lost. I am unsure if thay will continue with this idea with her, but, she showed as quite the prankster, once she got past the pain she was feeling. Also, even when she was very upset, and ready to give up on trying, she was still willing to help the little colt who fell in the bobbing tank. Thats personal responsability right there. Give the dear a break, and hope thay bring her back more and more.

      Side note, I loved what thay did with her mane and tail, sorta like Celestia's but in night colours with stars, ruffled by an ethreal wind. Nightmare Moon had simular, but, no where near as colourfull, nore was it touched by the wind, it mostly just hung there.

      ReplyDelete
    72. Derpy for DerpyOctober 23, 2011 at 12:06 AM

      Wow I finally got a chance to watch the Episode. lol It wasn't what I actually expected. It was better!!! Prithee, we Doth see more of thine Luna in future episodes.... Derp?

      ReplyDelete
    73. AnonymousOctober 23, 2011 at 12:27 AM

      @Cedric Bale

      Yep especially to that last part, they managed to give Luna a fairly well rounded personality in the episode. Celestia is still mostly unexplored. My biggest wish going forward is a Celestia and Twilight relationship centric episode.

      ReplyDelete
    74. MoonshineOctober 23, 2011 at 12:43 AM

      %40%3C%61%20%68%72%65%66%3D%22%23c4796212342746781274%22%3EHMorris73%3C%2F%61%3E

      That's certainly possible. But that's just more of the problem I have with Pinkie as a character in general. She's basically the adult who never grew up or ever HAS to grow up, since everyone enables her, and so she gets away with things that anyone else would get scolded for.

      Would it have killed her to at least apologize after letting Luna in on the joke?

      ReplyDelete
    75. Dire BirdbrainOctober 23, 2011 at 1:23 AM

      Canon Luna is a silly pony! That is all.

      ReplyDelete
    76. MiColtOctober 23, 2011 at 1:26 AM

      This comment has been removed by the author.

      ReplyDelete
    77. MiColtOctober 23, 2011 at 1:40 AM

      Can't help but wish this episode would've been just a wee bit longer after reading Rarity's cut scene, but I still stand by my earlier statement that this episode still was great for what we got.

      Still, Rarity definitely would've made it feel more complete though, and I do certainly enjoy when she has screen time... gah my OCD is going to kick in if I keep thinking about this any more. Damn you time constraints!

      ReplyDelete
    78. LyssiechanOctober 23, 2011 at 2:04 AM

      @Pinkie Pie

      I think it's because he's a yearling. This is his very first Nightmare Night EVER!

      Also colts tend to have nonstandard character designs. See: Snips and Snails.

      ReplyDelete
    79. Everchosen October 23, 2011 at 2:25 AM

      Can somebody upload that episode without those annoying hub icons??

      ReplyDelete
    80. LofwyrOctober 23, 2011 at 3:52 AM

      This was the best episode ever. I hope so much that they develop Luna further. Please.

      ReplyDelete
    81. KkatOctober 23, 2011 at 3:54 AM

      Lauren Faust has confirmed that Rarity's scenes were cut due to time.

      Goth Luna is the best Luna.

      ("A creature of nightmares no longer..." she says after her cloak dissolved into a flock of bats!)

      ReplyDelete
    82. HeartmendOctober 23, 2011 at 3:56 AM

      I'm pretty sure the script was already written before April of this year, when Fallout Equestria first started being posted. And for crying out loud, the writers do not read fanfics. We've written about nearly everything there is to write about, so of course episodes will resemble this-or-that fanfic. It's just getting really incredible old.

      It's far more likely they're referencing Charles Dickens' Great Expectations with Pip. :)

      ReplyDelete
    83. slizardmasterOctober 23, 2011 at 4:17 AM

      I think we know why she Luna wasn't at the Grand Galloping Gala now.

      ReplyDelete
    84. ultra8October 23, 2011 at 4:19 AM

      That was certainly fun and unexpected but most definetly EPIC.
      of course it raises several questions like Zecora's magic and what to call the bat-winged pegasus guards.
      Over the top akward Luna is certainly the best.

      ReplyDelete
    85. ultra8October 23, 2011 at 4:21 AM

      Also where were those killer games when I was a kid? None of the parties I went to came close to that.

      ReplyDelete
    86. David KreutzOctober 23, 2011 at 4:50 AM

      While it was a fun episode, and I tried to go into it without basing my assumptions about Luna on any fan content, the more I thought about the episode afterwards, the more a few things started to bug me.

      When Nightmare Moon first appeared, only Twilight Sparkle knew who she was.  If every pony in Ponyville had been celebrating a holiday where they left candy at a Nightmare Moon statue every year and were told the tale about her, they would have recognized her.  

      Also, at the end of the second episode, the ponies of Ponyville welcome Luna and even give her a gift of a flower necklace.  Why would the kind Luna of that episode who was warmly greeted return as a harsher version now?  Maybe I'm being picky but I like my shows to atleast be internally consistent, even if they aren't realistic, especially cartoons :)

      I think they went a little too far with the make Luna scary, when they could have had a fun, spooky episode without that.  Just my two bits :)

      ReplyDelete
    87. Tears of a ValedictorianOctober 23, 2011 at 5:28 AM

      I loved this episode, and I love Luna, and I love you all.

      ReplyDelete
    88. KaijyuuOctober 23, 2011 at 6:09 AM

      @David Kreutz
      Whilst I agree about the ponies not recognizing her in episode one being an obvious plot hole, it can be somewhat covered up if you assume her appearance was lost to history and and all the decorations with her face are new. Another issue is why Nightmare Moon didn't use the traditional voice when addressing her subjects.

      As for the ponies being scared, that's probably a lot more realistic than you give credit for. Remember, she threatened eternal night upon these ponies; that's not something you easily forget. Next, she showed up all dramatic, in a dark cloak that turned into bats, on the day celebrating her being terrifying. I'm willing to bet all the adults knew she was the princess, but weren't sure if she was playing around as Nightmare Moon or was BACK to Nightmare Moon. They bowed because they knew she was the princess; they cowered because they didn't know if she was really threatening or just looked like it. Only pinkie and twilight really figured it before the end.

      ReplyDelete
    89. Tears of a ValedictorianOctober 23, 2011 at 6:10 AM

      I love how little patience Luna had for Ponyville's silliness. She's a princess from back in the day, when royalty was worshipped and feared, there's only so much bullshit you're going to put up with.

      If Henry VIII was brought back today, he'd be all "What? I can't just have people killed anymore? Since when? Political correctness, man. Alright, just send some servant girls up to my bedchamber then... what? So what can I do? Appear at a dinner for the new Dutch ambassador? Jesus."

      ReplyDelete
    90. Alex SmithOctober 23, 2011 at 6:40 AM

      *Sigh* Once again you neglect the fact that many editing programs can't read mkv files. Programs like Windows Media Player and Sony Vegas can't be used or watched because they are not mp4 or wmv file formats. PLEASE someone fix this! This is the second time this has happened.

      ReplyDelete
    91. AnonymousOctober 23, 2011 at 7:10 AM

      I liked awkward Luna who goes back and forth between acting normally and acting like a royal from a very different era. Lots of comedy potential there for fandom to exploit.

      ReplyDelete
    92. AnonymousOctober 23, 2011 at 7:26 AM

      @Blind

      Okay fine "plot hole" may have been too strong a word in retrospect. Also I would appreciate it if you didn't strawman my opinion. I did not say she should have spent 3-4 minutes answering questions and/or monologuing for my benefit, just that they at least address it. For example, modify her entrance speech to something along the lines of, "CITIZENS OF PONYVILLE! I HAVE RETURNED FROM OUR YEAR LONG TRIP TO *blank*..." And it doesn't have to be done that way either, but I would be thankful if it were referred to in some way canonically.

      ReplyDelete
    93. RizaMustang24October 23, 2011 at 7:35 AM

      You know, it occurred to me while watching this episode that Luna and Celestia may actually have COMPLETELY different lives. Luna is the princess of the night and Celestia of the day. Well, even immortal and magical princesses have to sleep. If Celestia is asleep at night when Luna's awake, then it would make sense that when they DID get to see each other, the resulting time was spent scolding Luna and making her see the error of her ways. After 1000 years, that's a lot of resentment, and for her to suddenly say, "I couldn't be happier, Twilight Sparkle" means she had a lot to think about.

      ReplyDelete
    94. MikeOctober 23, 2011 at 7:45 AM

      >Derpy in paper bags with Carrot Top
      "I emptied your fridge"
      "But I didn't even have time to put the groceries away, Derpy!"

      ReplyDelete
    95. MikeOctober 23, 2011 at 7:46 AM

      1300th!

      ReplyDelete
    96. MikeOctober 23, 2011 at 7:47 AM

      @Mike
      ^
      This is probably harder to do than getting first.

      ReplyDelete
    97. RoxorOctober 23, 2011 at 8:58 AM

      This was a massive improvement over the previous episode. While the first few minutes were a bit painful (although nowhere near as bad as nearly all of the previous episode), it was thoroughly enjoyable once Luna turned up.

      I think I'll have to re-watch this a few times once a clean version shows up to re-tune my mental voice for Luna. For some strange reason my mental voice for Luna sounds an awful lot like GLaDOS. Yeah. I have no idea why, either.

      Onto the actual events of the episode:

      I was pleased to see Rainbow Dash acting the prankster again, although I was surprised at her choice of outfit. A Shadowbolt? Wow. Looks like Nightmare Moon came a lot closer to persuading Dash to join her than it first appeared.

      Zecora has shown that Pen Stroke and Batty Gloom were definitely on the right track when they used her as the narrator for the school play in "Past Sins". The mare has definitely got a talent for theatrics. Let's hope we see more of it in the future.

      I have no idea what Celestia told Luna about how Equestria has changed over the last thousand years, but whatever she did tell her, it clearly wasn't enough. I'm betting Celestia is going to get an earful from her sister in the morning. Whether it'll be "I'm shocked at how negligent you were at bringing me up to speed" or "I'm going to get you back for that prank" is anyone's guess.

      Luna provided an excellent demonstration of the Fish Out Of Temporal Water trope. She was clearly acting like she's recently come out of the past and while she has mostly picked up the linguistic changes, she's still way behind on the cultural ones. This, of course, makes me want to see more of her as she adapts to the present day. Heck, you could make a whole series just based around Luna adapting to present-day Equestria.

      I loved the scare at the end, although I must confess, I am puzzled as to why Luna needed the fake pointy teeth when she could have just created the Nightmare Moon illusion to show them anyway.

      All up, despite a bit of a painful start, it's definitely one of the better episodes of the series.

      ReplyDelete
    98. MikeOctober 23, 2011 at 9:20 AM

      @Roxor
      Y everyone gotta hate on Lesson Zero? It was a good episode.

      I guess it was targeted at comedy more than character building, and some people might be angry with that.

      But comedy is still good. Right?

      ReplyDelete
    99. Tears of a ValedictorianOctober 23, 2011 at 9:30 AM

      @Mike

      I think there would have been way less backlash against Lesson Zero if it had come later in the season. As it was, everyone was on tenterhooks about whether the show would stay as strong in the second season, so it got over-analysed as THE NEW DIRECTION OF THE SHOW instead of just a silly episode.

      ReplyDelete
    100. AnonymousOctober 23, 2011 at 9:57 AM

      The whole Nightmare Night and having a holiday dedicated to Nightmare Moon wasn't sitting well with me, so I had to go back and rewatch the pilot again.

      Even when Twilight was researching the whole 'Mare in the Moon' thing, Twi and Spike seemed surprised over it as they believed it was just an old pony's tale (tail). So when NMM showed up in ponyville, Twilight saw that the mare in the moon was missing, NMM show up and put two and two together. It isn't like Twilight ALWAYS knew about Nightmare Moon; she read it in one of her million books. And when everypony else was gasping from shock, they didn't realize that NMM was an actual pony. They thought it was just a myth for fun and holidays sake.

      So as far as that little "plot hole" is concerned, I'm believing it to actually be covered and consistent with the rest of the series.

      Can't back up most of the other issues, though, but they're fun to speculate about. ^_^

      ReplyDelete
    101. UnformedOctober 23, 2011 at 10:44 AM

      I realy hope this isn't the only we see of luna this season.

      ReplyDelete
    102. GanymedeOctober 23, 2011 at 10:56 AM

      YEEES! This sets up Luna for behaving exactly as she does in my fanfic! AWESOME!

      ReplyDelete
    103. RixOctober 23, 2011 at 11:09 AM

      With everyone commenting on the discrepancies between the first episode and Luna's recent appearance I'm reminded of a discussion on another board. Someone suggested that the very first episode was technically the pilot and it's not unusual for there to be changes between the pilot and the actual series.

      ReplyDelete
    104. ProBronoOctober 23, 2011 at 11:16 AM

      @Moonshine

      I don't think Pinkie's personality is due to her never growing up. Remember, she was a jaded rock farmer before she saw that rainboom--she had to learn how to be the way she is now. I think Pinkie is intentionally going by the philosophy that the easiest way to make others happy is by being happy yourself. Sometimes she goes overboard with it, but I think her intentions are to help her friends with their problems by making those problems seem like less of a big deal (see: Giggle at the Ghostly).

      As for never getting scolded for it... I'm not sure about that. Due to her personality, her friends never take her very seriously, and sometimes they get outright annoyed with her. And this leads to problems, since there have been several times when they should be paying attention to Pinkie, but don't, because of the way she usually acts (Swarm of the Century, Over a Barrel... arguably Griffon the Brush Off and Feeling Pinkie Keen, depending on your perspective). Pinkie sometimes runs into trouble because of the way she is, but she sticks with it anyway, because she thinks it's the best way to be a good friend.

      For this episode specifically, even when she was scaring the kids, I think she was doing it for Luna. She said at the end that it's fun to be scared; I think she thought Luna was purposely working from that angle to make Nightmare Night more fun, and she wanted to help. Remember that at the end of the episode, Pipsqueak said that Luna was his favorite princess for what she had done that night. He might not have felt so strongly about it if Pinkie hadn't helped to make everyone more worked up about Nightmare Night.

      Should she apologize anyway? Yeah, but I don't see any way for her to have known that, even by the end of the episode. The only one who ever confronted Pinkie was Twilight; from Pinkie's perspective, given all the thunder, lightning, spiders, and batponies, Luna was just trying to put on a show, and Pinkie was helping along. It's entirely possible that the situation was explained to her later and she apologized off-screen. I'd like to think so, anyway, given how she was already about to shake Luna's hoof in friendship there at the end.

      ReplyDelete
    105. Dire BirdbrainOctober 23, 2011 at 11:53 AM

      @Mike

      Yeah, I don't get the level of disappointment over Lesson Zero either. Judging by the synopsis it was obviously going to be a gag episode, and it turned out to be a particularly silly gag episode. I guess some people just wanted it to be something else . . .

      ReplyDelete
    106. Nitsua(Nitz) XepherOctober 23, 2011 at 1:06 PM

      This episode kinda felt like a let down to me To be Honest.

      I mean, Luna has a very unique, solid character, and the episode was put together quite well, but I can't shake this feeling that is something very important missing in it, kinda like when you put together a puzzle and your missing a few pieces in the nicest, most important spots.

      This episode was good, no doubt about it, but I guess I was hoping for something a little bit different, I guess the best way to say it is "Less of a gag episode, more of an adventure episode".

      All around, very nice, but I wouldn't call it best episode Number 2 by any means...

      ReplyDelete
    107. Joe EnglandOctober 23, 2011 at 1:25 PM

      And seriously, that carriage is freaking METAL. Looks like it was tricked out by Eddie Riggs.

      ReplyDelete
    108. CHeighlundOctober 23, 2011 at 3:07 PM

      @Ultra8
      "what to call the bat-winged pegasus guards"

      How about 'disguised', or considering the circumstances, possibly 'costumed'? I mean, their -manes and tails- were also bat -wings-.

      Oh, and another bit of thought for the Trollestia logic points: The Pilot implied that Celestia and Luna ruled from whatever was originally where the Everfree Forest is now - 'the ancient palace of the pony sisters'. So, why is Luna using the "Royal -Canterlot- voice"?

      ReplyDelete
    109. Michael LewisOctober 23, 2011 at 4:01 PM

      I could barely contain myself when Zecora called Pipsqueak "Lilpip". It was like a nod from the creators saying, "Yes, we have indeed read Fallout: Equestria, and verily, we doth approve!"

      ReplyDelete
    110. FrEsHKurtOctober 23, 2011 at 4:39 PM

      @y2kyle89

      Wonderful, awesome, amazing, heart-warming, BEST episode yet! Princess Luna is MY FAV Pony EVER, she is voiced by the same wonderful lady that does Rarity's voice.. and.. i noticed Rarity's not in the Luna Eclipsed episode and she'z the only Pony not in it besides Princess Celestia, i love Luna.. but where'z our Rarity? i'm sure they just cut her so the voice actress wouldn't have to do twice as much work, but couldn't they have just shown a quick 1 or 2 minute clip of Rarity saying goodbye and leaving town to go visit her family for nightmare Night? i missed Rarity in this episode, plz no more pony cutz.. friendship is magic right? =(

      ReplyDelete
    111. DrwhoofOctober 23, 2011 at 4:59 PM

      Luna vs Progress series wins most accurate fanfic category.

      ReplyDelete
    112. AFBlueOctober 23, 2011 at 5:22 PM

      @FrEsHKurt

      As was mentioned before, this is hardly a rare occurrence. It happens pretty consistently, in fact.

      As for specific explanation, there's a great pony fan-blog you should check out, it's called Equestria Daily:
      http://www.equestriadaily.com/2011/10/raritys-absense-in-luna-eclipse.html

      Enjoy!

      ReplyDelete
    113. BlindOctober 23, 2011 at 5:34 PM

      @Unknown

      I apologize if I gave you the feeling that I was mocking your opinion, which I was not, but I certainly did not misrepresent anything. I understand that some fans wanted an explanation for Luna's whereabouts after her restoration to royalty but I'm my view, the opportunity was not there. But now that her friendship with the citizens of Ponyville has been established and each party knows they can act informal with each other, they can visit the subject again in a later appearance.
      Too bad Pinkie Pie was busy pretending to be a chicken as she would of been all over Luna's whereabouts, formality means nothing to her.

      ReplyDelete
    114. riggleywiggleyOctober 23, 2011 at 6:37 PM

      lol nopony gave Luna a brohoof when she stuck her
      hoof out.Poor luna D:

      ReplyDelete
    115. richfilesOctober 23, 2011 at 7:17 PM

      I've been rereading Progress since viewing Luna Eclipsed. I easily read Progress Luna in Luna's canon voice, that lovely and utterly adorkable voice she uses when she's NOT shouting in THE TRADITIONAL ROYAL CANTERLOT VOICE. I also EASILY read her in THE TRADITIONAL ROYAL CANTERLOT VOICE when she had her flank slapped at the bar! LOL!

      I think nothing of canon Luna prevents the fanfic Progress from working. I think most fanfics can honestly function, with some alt world or suspension of disbelief. There might be a detail here or there, but I think it'll be fine. I truly feel that nothing bad came of this episode. I'm about ready to go buy another Luna toy to let Hasbro know I approve, and then mod the living manure out of it! LOL.

      As for thee's and thou's... Consider how easily ones language changes, even within the span of a few years. Language is HIGHLY dynamic. I remember when I used to blurt radical, bodacious and gnarly every other sentence. A few years later, I think it was awesome and totally. Later, sweet became pretty cool. These days... Oh God... I actually have CAUGHT myself SAYING LOL... Not even joking about that. Lulz, Pwn, and Pwned are part of my normal vernacular. Adorkable may be my favorite new word. In regular usage, phrases like I'll google that, or I'll torrent it, or lets stream it, are now common place... even with my mother!

      Language changes easily as we learn new words and let others fall out of use. I have NO difficulty seeing Luna drop her mask of royalty, dropping the royal we, dropping THE TRADITIONAL ROYAL CANTERLOT VOICE, and even dropping all the old English (old Equestrian?) I LOVED one comparison of Luna to Ziva Divad of NCIS. She knows English, but sounds awkward speaking it, and misses many sayings and slang. This is a nice comparison to how I see Luna after more time interacting with modern ponies.

      I think the producers tried to portray her in a way that leaves her both open to development, and subtly alluded to many popular fan depictions of her. We see her wearing a mask of royalty, protocol, tradition, and power, but we also see her unsure of herself, saddened when her subjects fail to accept her. She appears to be intellectual. She immediately recognized our favorite adorkable nerd's costume (though she did LIVE history). We see sad Luna after repeated rejection, and we see an angry Luna with an explosive temper. We see a powerful Luna that doesn't realize the damage and intimidation her powers cause, and we even see Luna seem to have a desire to cast off formality when she asks ponies to call her Luna. We've actually seen very little defining who Luna is beneath her royal mask. I still feel that Luna is still very open to interpretation.

      Just off the top of my head, I saw these traits depicted in "Luna Eclipsed"

      ✔ Protocol & Royal Tradition Luna

      ✔ Informal Amongst Friends Luna

      ✔ Adorkably Awkward Luna

      ✔ Awkwardly Stuck in the Past Luna

      ✔ Unaware of Modern Life Luna

      ✔ Powerful Beyond Compare Luna

      ✔ Intimidating / Frightening When Angry Luna

      ✔ Inadvertent Property / Environmental Damage Luna

      ✔ Intellectual Luna

      ✔ Sad / Insecure Luna

      ✔ Fun Loving Happy Luna

      ✔ Resentful of Her Past & How Ponies Depict Her Luna

      ✔ Persistent Luna

      ✔ Twilight best Pony to "Fix" Luna

      ✔ Sarcastic Luna

      ✔ TROLLUNA

      I miss any?

      In all honesty, I can say Luna is very "proto-progressish" to me. All she needs to do is tone down the old linguistic mannerisms that she obviously uses as a mask for what insecurities she feels, and adopt the world of her modern ponies, and learn to make friends!

      To me it looks like she is well on her way to that new start by the end of the episode.

      I hope Hasbro lets her be in more than just Nightmare Night/Halloween episodes.

      I want to see her in a Canterlot episode, where we get to see her true self, and I'd like to see a Ponyville episode, in an informal visit.

      That's my 2 bits.

      ReplyDelete
    116. richfilesOctober 23, 2011 at 7:34 PM

      @richfiles

      Umm... DO NOT even ask me how I managed to spell Ziva David's last name PERFECTLY BACKWARDS in my last comment... I... Just... I Wow...

      Did I just have a stroke?

      ReplyDelete
    117. Jonny ManzOctober 23, 2011 at 7:52 PM

      I find that the more I watch this episode (in other words, with each subsequent re-watch) I like it more and more. Pinkie, while still seeming more obnoxious than usual, definitely doesn't seem as obnoxious as when I first watched. And I absolutely LOVE what they did with Luna's character: skilfully blending elements of fanon Luna with some things that none of the fans ever thought of, but in hindsight, make a whole helluva a lot of sense.

      Also, I must express my hopes that Pipsqueak becomes a part of the CMC. I just think having a male presence in it would be cool, but I could see why the showrunners wouldn't want it: it would throw off the balance of 1 earth pony, 1 pegasus, and 1 unicorn, because then there'd be two earth ponies. Oh well.

      Also, I sincerely hope Luna shows up at different points throughout the rest of the season, but especially next episode. I mean, she's practically begging to be developed further, not withstanding the fact that she's already quite interesting. I mean, think about it: not only should she and Celestia preside over the Sisterhooves Social (after all, they are Equestria's royalty, and it is an event celebrating sisterly unity), but Celestia could also be teaching her proper Modern Equestrian customs for princesses, since it's obvious that Luna needs some practice, having been out of it for the 1,000 years she was stuck as NMM in the moon, plus the past year, when she was recovering her good magical energy (which would explain her new mane & tail). If you don't know what I'm talking about, Faust said, if the new show runners really are thinking on the same wavelength as her, the reason Luna's mane and tail looked as they did when the Elements purified her was that her good magic was very weak, having been under the influence of NMM for so long. Then, the reason her mane and tail look like they do now is because she spent the last year recovering her magic's strength, and so her mane and tail take on that form, very similar to her big sister's. If you read into Faust's words ever so slightly, it sounds like it's natural for Alicorn's manes and tails to be like that, and when they are more corporeal instead of ethereal, it shows their magical strength is weak (which seems to canonize at least that aspect of "Past Sins.").

      ReplyDelete
    118. Jonny ManzOctober 23, 2011 at 8:06 PM

      @richfiles
      XD I must admit I laughed when I saw that. Funny also that you should bring up NCIS, since USA (the cable channel) plays it constantly, and my mom always loves to watch it. What does this have to do anything? I dunno, just felt like making a funny observation. XD

      Oh wait, I think I figured out how you spelled "David" backwards. Just look at her first name backwards: "Aviz"

      ReplyDelete
    119. FastRideOnAShortBusOctober 23, 2011 at 8:30 PM

      I love LOUD LUNA!

      ReplyDelete
    120. Frida1980October 23, 2011 at 9:23 PM

      Just one thing. Did anyone notice that one strand of blue hair of Luna's that kept popping up. Look at this moment:

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWkZ4rbAtP0&feature=player_detailpage#t=872s

      Notice that light blue hair strand where the rest is corporeal? It seems to show up like that occasionally, so it's obviously done on purpose. I wonder what Lauren means by that. That she's not entirely god-like yet? She's not a full power? Maybe it's an emotional thing, where she loses her hair form as she get more emotional or frazzled. Hmmm...

      ReplyDelete
    121. JeremyOctober 23, 2011 at 9:45 PM

      @P. Pony Ponyson

      You should send them a gigantic hand-written banner telling the creative team this.

      (One-Hundred Billion Internets and all my respect to whoever gets this reference.)

      ReplyDelete
    122. Nova25October 23, 2011 at 10:37 PM

      @Frida1980
      I would tend to think that it's an animation error... mostly because it keeps popping ''here/not here''.

      And what Faust said was that, for her, Luna had been regaining her powers since she came back, not that she had lost her god-like state.

      ReplyDelete
    123. BlitzWing00October 23, 2011 at 11:41 PM

      This episode was awesome, but am I the only one a little sad about Derpy? They went with the "retarded" Derpy....the paper bag costume and pulling the plug like she didn't know what that was for. (Insert sad Derpy look here) I don't know, I'm not a subscriber of the "retarded" Derpy. I think it would have been more awesome if Derpy was dressed up as some internet meme like Nyan Cat or something and pulled the plug by accident while bobbing for apples. Or even if she was dressed up as a postal worker or muffin costume.

      Anyhow, I loved everything else. Canon Luna's great, has to lose the old english speak and booming loud voice eventually though.

      Did anybody else notice that Pinkie actually ran like a chicken with her hind legs only, LOL. Love the attention of detail!

      ReplyDelete
    124. richfilesOctober 23, 2011 at 11:59 PM

      @Jonny Manz

      Someone from the Progress comments thread brought it up. Luna, in time, could easily learn modern Equestrian language, but would more than likely struggle with occasional accent and finer details. Her Equestrian will likely sound "awkward" for years, and she would likely miss small details like slang or common catch phrases or sayings.

      The person compared this potential future Luna (aka, post Nightmare Night, fanon "Progress" Luna, after she has been taught and become accustomed to modern speaking methods) To Ziva David. Comparing how Ziva speaks English fluently, but being a foreigner, has a bit of a minor accent, and misses some of the finer points of the language. I just agreed with the example. It's kinda the was i hope they develop Luna in that manner, as it makes no sense for her to continue speaking archaically, especially if she is trying to learn from her new friends.

      ReplyDelete
    125. richfilesOctober 24, 2011 at 12:15 AM

      @Jonny Manz

      Also...

      I think The OP used Ziva David as an example, because she is a rather tough female character... I'd never cross her! Kinda fitting example to contrast to ☾ THE ROYAL CANTERLOT VOICE ☽™ Luna! ☺

      Also... My misspelling of the name David by spelling it 100% perfectly backwards is made exponentially more derpy, due to the fact that my FATHER'S name is David...

      What is wrong with me tonight?

      Epic lulz ensue!

      The Fun is DOUBLED!!!

      ReplyDelete
    126. AnonymousOctober 24, 2011 at 2:32 AM

      You should check out my own uploads on uploadofstuff321. I will be uploading all Season 2 episodes on YouTube in 720p with no logos.

      ReplyDelete
    127. RoxorOctober 24, 2011 at 8:05 AM

      @Mike Oh, I have no problem with comedy when it's actually funny. Too bad the writers for "Lesson Zero" failed miserably in that department.

      ReplyDelete
    128. Stormy SeasOctober 24, 2011 at 9:00 AM

      Finally got to see the episode after downloading it off of iTunes.

      I. Was. Not. Ready.

      Luna's awesomeness has been doubled! She is now 40% cooler and shall never be dethroned as best pony. Canon Luna is definitely best Luna. I am now in a full on epic overload and can't stop giggling. My queen has returned!

      ReplyDelete
    129. richfilesOctober 24, 2011 at 9:59 AM

      HEAR US! WE COMMAND OUR SUBJECTS TO ENJOY OUR TELEVISION PROGRAM, FREEE OF LOGOS, SYMBOLS, ICONS, OR ANY OTHER FORM OF INTERFERENCE TO THINE VIEWING PLEASURE! COLOR CORRECTION HAS BEEN APLIED! THOU SHALT VIEW LUNA ECLIPSED ON THINE COMPUTING MACHINE, VIA THE YOU-TUBE. BEHOLD! A DOWN LOAD LINK IS PROVIDED FOR THINE CONVENIENCE! CLICK IT WITH THINE MOUSE TOOL, AND THOUST SHALLL BE PROVIDED WITH THE EMM-PEE-FOUR VARIANT OF OUR PROGRAM, FOR THOUST TO VIEW ON THINE OWN DEVICES!

      HUZZAH! THE FUN HAS BEEN DOUBLED

      ☾ THE ROYAL CANTERLOT VOICE ☽™

      ReplyDelete
    130. AnonymousOctober 24, 2011 at 1:18 PM

      ^Huzzah!

      (And there was much rejoicing!)

      ReplyDelete
    131. Cinnamon FritterOctober 24, 2011 at 1:53 PM

      @snowfi6916

      (I originally posted this in the 'Rarity's Absence Explained' thread, but it's quite applicable here)

      I certainly did miss Rarity in this episode, but it wasn't just because she simply wasn't there. It's that the Rarity fans missed out on seeing her interaction with Princess Luna. Luna is not a common, every episode character and most of the community has been anticipating her appearance for a long time.

      Each of the Mane 6 are very different, and we knew they would all act differently:

      -Twilight immediately saw Luna's problem and wanted to help.
      -Pinkie Pie essentially played with Luna the whole episode, using her as a device to scare the little ones.
      -Applejack was scared of her at first, but quickly came around when Luna's down-to-earth problem was brought to her attention
      -Fluttershy still sees her as Nightmare Moon as was terrified of her to the point of near mental collapse.
      -Rainbow Dash avoided Luna until she saw her with two of her friends (Twilight and Pinkie in the alley) but still didn't directly confront her.
      -Rarity; well, no appearance, no interaction.

      (Thankfully, Lauren and some others from Studio B stepped up and filled in the gaps. So we now know that Rarity was, in fact, excited to work with the Princess, and actually went a little overboard; ala fangirl style.)

      It's not that Rarity fans are upset at a random absence of their favorite character. It's that we all know how rare Luna's presence will be throughout the season, and we missed a fabulous opportunity to see our favorite character shine.

      This wasn't a standard 'slice of life' episode like most of the others. This was an important one whose conditions can't easily be recreated; like The Best Night Ever or The Return of Harmony. (Imagine if Fluttershy had been completely cut from The Best Night Ever because of episode time)

      The real enemy here is time constraints, not fellow bronies who may or may-not like Rarity. And this episode probably should have been made into a two-parter; giving more time for each character to work with Luna a bit (Rainbow Dash could have used a tad more screen time too). But at least we did get a good episode with a few things that the fandom hoped for; a socially awkward Luna, a scene with Ditzy-Doo and Carrot Top hanging out together, and the return (and town acceptance) of Zecora.

      ReplyDelete
    132. richfilesOctober 24, 2011 at 3:25 PM

      "Sisterhooves Social"
      Synopsis: Sweetie Belle is upset when her sister Rarity refuses to participate in a rough and tumble celebration of sisterly unity.

      This episode is the immediate tailing episode after "Luna Eclipsed". I think it'd be a missed opportunity to exclude Luna and Celestia from the episode immediately following Luna's reintroduction, an episode about a celebration of sisterhood.

      Come on... Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are the most powerful sister in the world, and they have suffered a terrible time apart. Luna is on her way to recovery, but has much to learn about the new world.

      This would be a perfect event for the two sisters to oversee, together. Not doing so would be a CRIME against the so called "Magic of Friendship" this show touts.

      It'd be a cool thing if they retooled the cut Rarity scene from the last episode and remade it as part of the reason Rarity does not with to participate, wanting instead, to serve Princess Luna.

      I wonder how long ago the scene was actually cut, and if it happened with time for it to be reused?

      ReplyDelete
    133. richfilesOctober 24, 2011 at 3:32 PM

      Also...

      "HUZZAH!!! How many points do I receive!" Luna is BEST PONY

      ReplyDelete
    134. Sgt MuffinOctober 24, 2011 at 4:54 PM

      WHERE IS DOWNLOAD!

      ReplyDelete
    135. SomeGuyOctober 24, 2011 at 9:36 PM

      @CHeighlund I wondered that too. Consider this, in the premier the reference guide to the Elements of Harmony said that the Elements were hidden in [quote] “... what is now the Everfree Forest.” Key words here being “what is NOW” implying that the Everfree was called something else in ancient times. Perhaps before the Everfree Forest became the Everfree Forest it was known as Canterlot, and the Canterlot of today is the new one.

      ReplyDelete
    136. StoneMasonOctober 24, 2011 at 10:42 PM

      For Fucks Sake Ponyarchive

      1080p at 1.35GB? You bloody shitting me?

      If mentos and derpyhooves.com can manage high quality 1080p's at only 650-750MB, why the fuck can't you?

      ReplyDelete
    137. StoneMasonOctober 24, 2011 at 10:46 PM

      @Mason

      My apologies for my rage, im just annoyed at how ponyarchive gets their videos.

      ReplyDelete
    138. Valor CrowOctober 24, 2011 at 10:47 PM

      what is this fun thou speakest of? hehe :D well done once again- new luna is epic!!

      ReplyDelete
    139. AnonymousOctober 25, 2011 at 12:16 PM

      No offense to people who enjoyed this episode, nor to Miss Lauren Faust, but "Luna Eclipsed" really disappointed me. Here's why:

      1) Nightmare Night utterly demonized poor Luna. All she wanted was to be loved again. Instead, the citizens of Ponyville used her as a tool for their own enjoyment, especially Pinkie Pie.

      2) Apparently, making Spike cough/choke is "all in good fun" according to Rainbow Dash.

      3) Fluttershy, who is supposed to be the spirit of kindness, did not do a thing to help Luna, who was in need of it.

      4) Why did everyone except Twilight think Luna was Nightmare Moon? The main six ponies were right in front of her when she reverted back to her normal self, and they even held a party in Ponyville to celebrate. So why is Twilight the only one who remembers?

      I dunno... I just feel that consistency was beaten over the head with a bat in this episode. I felt really bad for Luna and now wanting to like Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

      ReplyDelete
    140. John41October 25, 2011 at 2:59 PM

      I liked this episode a lot; I dare say it may in fact be my favorite episode yet.

      The sequence with Fluttershy was priceless. Couldn’t stop laughing. It was nice to see her in a less ‘neck snapping’ role. Luna was great. Insert obligatory “I really like her mane!” comment. Seriously though I totally didn’t notice they had changed it from the pilot until about halfway through the episode. Luna’s character was well portrayed. Glad she was more assertive than some of the fan interpretations. The Canterlot voice and the use of the royal we were nice touches, though a couple of her lines felt… contorted. I haven’t studied earlier forms of English so I really can’t comment further. Perhaps the English majors among us could do a critique of her dialog. ;)

      If I had any criticisms they would probably be about Pinkie’s antics. Rainbow’s lighting prank seems pretty tame in comparison to Pinkie’s actions, which resulted in everyone being unhappy, leaving Luna upset that she was being portrayed as a horrible monster and everyone else upset that the festival had been ruined and was now canceled. The way Pinkie’s actions resulted in demonizing Luna, who was obviously having trouble fitting in, was a bit disconcerting, although not entirely surprising considering the events of Bridle Gossip.

      All that being said, I do hope they bring Luna back again someday, she’s too fun to keep locked away in the canterlot castle for another season.

      Luna is best pony

      ReplyDelete
    141. KaijyuuOctober 26, 2011 at 3:41 PM

      @Azura
      I can answer these!

      1) Demonized Luna? More like demonized the citizens of ponyville for letting their fear get the best of them! Also, remember Luna and Nightmare Moon are the same person. Overreacting when she wasn't accepted like she wanted is exactly why she was sent to the moon in the first place! If you want consistency with established canon, there it is.

      2) This is the same pegasis that wanted to prank fluttershy, the same pegasis that cheated over and over during fall weather friends, etc etc. Rainbow Dash is a jerk. That's her big character flaw.

      3) Fluttershy's not good around other ponies, and especially intimidating things like dragons or NIGHTMARE MOON. I found her extremely in character.

      4) My theory is they all remember that, but weren't sure if she was BACK to nightmare moon or playing around. Either way, terror is probably the appropriate response. Here she showed up dramatically with a black chariot, a cloak that turns into bats, and when she stomps her hooves it makes cracks in the floor. No one bowed to Nightmare Moon, remember, but they bowed here. They know who she is; just not her intentions.

      5) You didn't put a 5 but since you mentioned Pinkie, Pinkie thought Luna was playing around and went along with it. It is Nightmare Night after all.

      ReplyDelete
    142. thunderhoovesOctober 26, 2011 at 6:12 PM

      why no downloads, fandom i am dissapoint

      ReplyDelete
    143. richfilesOctober 26, 2011 at 9:15 PM

      Another "Luna Eclipsed" detail that we should consider...

      We saw in "Luna Eclipsed", that Luna desperately seeks admiration from her subjects, and is very easily discouraged, either to depression or to anger, depending on her mood. With enough bad results coming from her angry explosions, she might develop a fear for letting herself react that way, especially if she ends up hearing a few suggestions from ponies that she must be turning back into Nightmare Moon. That'd be very hurtful.

      If she's hurt enough by such suggestions, I could see herself falling back to an inner shell of overt meekness. I also feel that unless she is intentionally developed in a different direction, that a meek Luna could be possible in the future, and that such fanon interpretations are still viable.

      Every time I saw Luna on screen in her sad state, she LITERALLY had to "switch modes" and return herself into her royal mask.

      I literally felt through the entire episode that the entire loud, bold persona she conveys is merely a mask meant to hide her weaknesses and convey power and authority.

      A pony who is that confident does not fall into total and complete madness over not being appreciated... A pony who is insecure, and who endlessly hides that insecurity with an incessant mask of false dominance, artificial pomp and power... That is a pony who goes mad when her mask fails her, and still nopony appreciates her.

      Luna is powerful, physically and magically, but possible centuries of feeling herself the lesser, feeling unappreciated, feeling rejected, combined with a millennium of banishment for it's results... This would leave anypony weak emotionally.

      I think that the Luna depicted here is only the first stage of a Luna that's not far off from many of the more popular fanon depictions of Luna than many people may realize.

      Watch the episode again, and watch for that "mask". The most obvious scene is where Luna is sulking in her sadness in front of the Nightmare Moon sculpture, and Twilight approaches her. It was like flipping a switch, the way it could be seen in her face.

      I'm so happy that Luna finally found some joy at the end of this episode. I only pray that Hasbro isn't stupid. Luna can not be a once a season character. She should appear with her sister, at least as often as Celestia appears in the series. I certainly hope they have the smarts to have at least 2 more Luna episodes. I stand by my belief that we need a Canterlot episode that focuses on the lives of the two sister Princesses, and we need a Ponyville episode that gives Luna a chance to really get to know the ponies she's befriended. Both episodes would further flesh out her character, and I truly feel that it's needed.

      Luna is certainly best pony.

      ReplyDelete
    144. richfilesOctober 26, 2011 at 9:28 PM

      Someone had mentioned the bat winged guards pulling Luna's chariot. sorta reminded them of the Thestrals from Harry Potter. The thestrals are equine creatures that have bat like wings, are associated with death, and have heads with reptilian features and eat meat.

      In the episode, her guards have bat like wings, "dragon" eyes like Nightmare Moon's, and the whole theme of the holiday revolves around disguising oneself in costumes and giving Nightmare Moon an offering of candy to dissuade her from eating YOU!!!

      With that in mind...

      EXCERPTS FROM THE HARRY POTTER WIKI

      ---
      Luna Scamander (née Lovegood) (born c. 1981) was a witch and daughter of Xenophilius Lovegood and his wife. Her mother accidentally died while experimenting with spells when Luna was nine, and Luna was raised by her father, editor of the magazine The Quibbler, in a rook-like house around the village of Ottery St. Catchpole. Luna attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from 1992 to 1999 and was sorted into Ravenclaw house. In her fourth year, Luna joined Dumbledore's Army, of which she became an important member.

      Luna was the only child of Xenophilius and Mrs. Lovegood. Luna's mother was accidentally killed experimenting with a spell that she created when Luna was nine years old. Thus, Luna was subsequently raised by her father. As she witnessed her mother's death, she was able to see Thestrals from that point onwards.

      Luna introduces Harry to the Thestrals; she offers a young Thestral an apple, which was turned down, before offering it a bit of raw meat with an accepting smile.

      At one point in the story, after escaping from the Inquisitorial Squad and regrouping in the forest, Luna reminded Harry about the Thestrals and suggested using them to get to the Ministry of Magic. She then mounted her Thestral side-saddle, "as though she did this every day." She also helped Ron, Hermione and Ginny mount their Thestrals, as the animals were invisible to them.
      ---

      Do I smell a harry potter reference, or is Luna's bat winged guards pure coincidence?

      ReplyDelete
    145. PopcornOctober 27, 2011 at 6:56 PM

      Seems to me that "Merely A Mare" has come closest to the new Luna cannon as far as characterization is concerned.

      ReplyDelete
    146. AnonymousOctober 28, 2011 at 6:08 PM

      As delightful as this episode is, what appears as retconning and pony unreasonableness gets a bit grating on later viewings. (Why is everypony reduced to cowering terror when Princess Luna shows up? They helped robe her after her purification.)

      But if we assume there isn't a retcon, the situation makes more sense, to me anyway. Maybe this backstory will make the episode more enjoyable to you as well....

      * Ponies didn't recognize Nightmare Moon in episode 1. Therefore the statue and the story about Nightmare Moon eating ponies came about afterwards. This syncs with newcomer Zacora being the taleteller.

      * That Ponyville added the Nightmare Moon story to Nightmare Night last year is reason enough for Luna to try to stop it this year.

      * Past any initial shock, the adult ponies don't think Luna is Nightmare Moon come to eat them. But in addition to facing Luna's high status and frightening appeareance, the ponies suddenly realize that Luna isn't exactly thrilled with their celebration. Being scared of her response is not so unreasonable.

      Luna may still seem a bit ... vacuum-packed given this history. But besides having an almost-unimaginable background, she's so darned adorable that it's easy to pass over a few odd moments.

      ReplyDelete
    147. SuperGiantRobotOctober 28, 2011 at 7:12 PM

      I AM NOT SPEAKING LOUD; YOU ARE MERELY LISTENING QUIETLY!

      ReplyDelete
    148. DerpGardeOctober 28, 2011 at 9:24 PM

      @richfiles
      AAAHHH, thank you for your thoughtful comment! I agree with everything you said 120%! It is clear that Luna is not nearly as self-assured as her sister, and no wonder. Considering everything that's happened, I think the accusations of her being psychotic, autistic, bipolar or whatever are unfair. Give the girl a break, people, her life has been crazy!

      ReplyDelete
    149. OmaticOctober 29, 2011 at 1:35 AM

      @WhitFox

      Remember that in the celebration of her return, Luna had a solid light blue mane and was accompanied by Celestia. In this instance, she has the same mane as Nightmare Moon, and considering that they'd only seen NMM for about a minute or so in pony (instead of "in person"), the resemblance paired with the superstition of the night sends everyone over the edge of reason.

      Plus, Chicken "Pinkie" Little is constantly yelling about the sky falling, the sky being Nightmare Moon, which doesn't help at all!

      The non-recognition of NMM in the first episode doesn't jive with the holiday having existed for long, though.

      ReplyDelete
    150. richfilesOctober 29, 2011 at 3:05 AM

      I'm gonna disagree in regard to episode 1 recognition. Many people believe in Satan. Some are familiar with the concept, but view it as nothing more than mythology.

      And then he appears in front of your face...

      WUT DO???

      You either stand there gawking with your jaw open, or you scream, or you run...

      Or you are insane and treat it like a game (aka... Pinkie)

      Or you show you have the biggest pair in Equestria by standing up to said myth rendered real before your face!

      I don't believe there was zero recognition, just zero composure tot he shock of the situation at hand.

      ReplyDelete
    151. SomeGuyOctober 29, 2011 at 8:11 PM

      A few final thoughts on Luna Eclipsed.

      Why does Nightmare Night exist? There are many holidays where people have forgoten why it was even started in the first place or what the original purpose was. What was Nightmare Night originally about? I don’t know. Probably to remember when Luna became Nightmare Moon and terrorised the land. Over time it evolved into a celebration of the night and dark and scary things, an excuse for ponies to dress up in silly costumes and foals to collect candy. Remember until recently ponies didn’t know who Nightmare Moon was (or who she used to be) let alone that she even existed in the first place. Nightmare Moon was simply a myth and folk tale and Nightmare Night, like its real world counterpart of Halloween, was a holiday for children.
      Why does it still exist if Luna has been restored to good? Simple, traditions do not just change overnight.
      Why are the ponies afraid of Luna? Similar answer, mindsets do not just change overnight. Nightmare Moon had been an evil being, and now ponies know that she was real and has a face (even if that face has changed) to direct their fears to. It probably did not help that Luna chose Nightmare Night and Ponyville to make her grand re-entrance into pony society. Ponyville had been ground zero of the eternal night event so the memory of NMM and what she tried to do would be ingrained in everypony’s mind. With her new empowered appearance, the day and time of day, it only takes a slight stretch of the imagination to make the leap to seeing Luna as Nightmare Moon (and despite thinking otherwise Pinkie wasn’t helping things).

      ReplyDelete
    152. SomeGuyOctober 29, 2011 at 8:12 PM

      @SomeGuy
      Now for the big question. Why, if she knew that Luna was corrupted by her negative emotions over being ignored and rejected by her subjects, would Celestia allow a celebration that painted her sister as a pony eating monster to exist? Popular answer is something along the lines of "because she is an evil tyrant dictator who vilified her sister to make herself look good, you know Trolestia hard at work. If Celestia was truly good she would control what her subjects celebrated and how they celebrated them." I don’t know about you but that sounds more like a dictator then someone who allows their subjects the freedom to choose how they lived their lives and how they conducted celebrations. Plus how do you know that Celestia has not tried to influence Nightmare Night into being a positive holiday.
      Look at what the ponies do on Nightmare Night. Do they burn effigies of Nightmare Moon or Luna? No. They stay up late at night and party (Side Note: something that they also do during the Summer Sun Celebration, a celebration that is supposedly all about Celestia and only her and the daytime). They dress up, play games, dance, play music, eat candy and even give candy to her sister (symbolically of course). So the holiday is not as sinister as it first appears, kind of like Luna? Perhaps the ponies have been paying honour to Luna for centuries without even knowing it.

      Now we can debate the holiday until we are all blue in the face (or rather cramped in the knuckles) but at the end of the day the reason that Nightmare Night exists is because this was how the FiM crew were able to get the re-inclusion of Luna back into the show passed the network executives. Remember in her retrospective interview Lauren Faust said that Luna was excluded from the rest of season one because the idea of a pony of darkness unnerved her bosses. How to get around this? How about taking a real life holiday about darkness and scariness that is universally considered “OK” and “for children” that other children’s television shows have made specials about and create a MLP episode around it with Luna as its focus. What am I getting at? When the scripts for season two were being pitched to the Hasbro/Hub executives for approval the crew did not pitch Luna Eclipsed as “the Luna episode” but as “the Halloween episode.”

      @richfiles I was going to say the same thing and these were my initial thoughts when watching the episode for the first time. And I second the motion that there be a Canterlot episode to better flesh out both Sisters. There is so much potential with them. Seriously Hasbro "Magic Pony Princesses" how much more "little girl's show can you get?

      ReplyDelete
    153. SomeGuyOctober 29, 2011 at 8:15 PM

      @SomeGuy Wow, this was the first time I've wrote a comment so long that it went over the character count restrictions.
      Yay me?

      ReplyDelete
    154. TacosGrandeNovember 16, 2011 at 1:59 PM

      Hasbro you foals! You took down the YouTube link! AHHH!

      ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)