The Cutie Re-Mark
Starlight Glimmer travels back in time to prevent the Mane Six from meeting.
The two-part season five finale of *My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic*, comprising episodes twenty-five and twenty-six (and the series’ 116th and 117th overall), is titled “The Cutie Re-Mark.” Josh Haber wrote the script, Denny Lu directed, and the story follows Starlight Glimmer as she uses time travel to stop the Mane Six from ever meeting, seeking revenge. The episodes aired on November 28, 2015, and critics gave the plot mixed reviews. Notably, the episodes feature two songs: 'Friends Are Always There For You' and a reprise of 'The Magic of Friendship Grows'.
In the plot, Twilight Sparkle is giving a talk at the School for Gifted Unicorns about cutie marks when she spots Starlight Glimmer in the audience, who vanishes. Back at the Castle of Friendship, Starlight appears, wanting payback for Twilight and her friends dismantling her “utopian” society. Using Star Swirl the Bearded’s time travel spell, Starlight opens a portal to the moment Rainbow Dash first performed the Sonic Rainboom in Cloudsdale—the event that let Twilight and her friends all get their cutie marks. Twilight and Spike follow but can’t stop Starlight from magically blocking Rainbow Dash. They return to a desolate, near-empty Ponyville.
At Sweet Apple Acres, now a heavy industrial apple-processing plant, Applejack doesn’t recognize them. She explains that King Sombra returned, forced Crystal ponies into his army, and waged war on Equestria, with the rest of the Mane Six serving in Princess Celestia’s forces. Twilight uses the spell again, but Starlight arrives earlier and befriends Fluttershy’s bullies, so Fluttershy is never bullied. Without that motivation, Rainbow Dash refuses to perform the Sonic Rainboom. The portal sends them to a second alternate present where Ponyville is overgrown with trees. Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, armed with spears, accuse them of being disguised Changelings. Zecora’s potion proves they’re from another reality, and she explains that Queen Chrysalis succeeded in her Canterlot attack and now rules Equestria. Chrysalis’s army attacks the camp, so Twilight and Spike flee back to the past.
In Cloudsdale, Twilight and Starlight fight magically, drawing Rainbow Dash’s attention and again preventing the Rainboom. The portal pulls them to a third future: a nighttime forest where timberwolves chase them to the Castle of the Two Sisters. Inside, Nightmare Moon has
- Type
- Television episodes
- Series
- My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
- Season
- 5
- Episodes
- 25 and 26
- Writer
- Josh Haber
- Director
- Denny Lu
- Release date
- November 28, 2015
- Viewership
- 650,000 (325,000 per part)
Lore & Background
The plot begins at the School for Gifted Unicorns, where Twilight Sparkle gives a lecture about cutie marks. After seeing Starlight Glimmer in the audience, Twilight returns to the Castle of Friendship and finds Starlight seeking revenge for the ruin of her utopian society. Using Star Swirl the Bearded's time travel spell, Starlight travels back to the moment Rainbow Dash performed her first Sonic Rainboom, altering history. Twilight and Spike follow her but fail to stop her, leading to alternate presents where Equestria is ruled by King Sombra, Queen Chrysalis, Nightmare Moon, Lord Tirek, Discord, and Flim and Flam.
Twilight and Spike repeatedly fail to prevent Starlight from changing the past and become trapped in a time loop. They forcibly take Starlight through the portal to show her the consequences of her actions. In a deserted wasteland, Starlight reveals her childhood: she lost touch with her friend Sunburst after he earned his cutie mark and left to study magic. This led her to believe cutie marks ruin friendships. Back in the past, Starlight threatens to rip the time scroll, but Twilight convinces her to give friendship another chance. All three return to the unaltered present, and Twilight takes Starlight on as her student.
Reader's Guide
The Cutie Re-Mark is significant as the season 5 finale of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, introducing time travel and exploring alternate dystopian timelines. The episodes mark a turning point for the character Starlight Glimmer, who transitions from antagonist to student of Twilight Sparkle. The plot received mixed reviews from critics, with some praising the redemption arc but noting it diminished Starlight's role as a villain. According to Screen Rant, the episodes ranked as the seventh-best season finale on IMDb, with Part 1 and Part 2 scoring 8.3 and 8.2 out of 10 respectively. The episodes also feature the song "Friends Are Always There For You," composed by Daniel Ingram with mandolin by Caleb Chan. The production involved animatics shown at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con, and it was the final time Jayson Thiessen was involved with the show before shifting focus to the 2017 theatrical movie.
Did You Know?
- The episodes were written by Josh Haber and directed by Denny Lu.
- The only song featured is 'Friends Are Always There For You,' sung by Starlight Glimmer and the Mane Six.
- A two-minute animatic was shown at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con.
- The episodes had 325,000 total viewers according to Nielsen ratings.
More in My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic episodes 1-24
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