The thing I love most about this episode is the order in which everypony present offers their support to Thorax. Twilight is the first to be convinced, both as Spike's closest relative and as Sunset and Starlight's mentor, and Starlight is the second to be moved by Spike's song because she knows exactly how it feels to want to change your way of life and leave your past behind. Cadance offers her support only after Twilight's speech, showing that she's still understandably wary of changelings but she trusts her sister-in-law completely after all they've been through. Shining Armor is the last one to be convinced, both because his life's purpose is protecting the ones he cares about and because more than anyone in Equestria, he knows how easy it is to be tricked by a changeling's charm. However, he knows that his wife was affected by the changeling attack on Canterlot even more than he was, and if she's willing to give Thorax a chance, he trusts her judgement. Little details like these speak volumes about the characters.

I love when kid’s shows have actual character depth, and not just one-sided idiots like you’d expect them to be.

@@CRATORISCRACKED wait what did i say on my alt acc i dont remember

@@pepperwaffles4228 I don’t know either I just like confusing people.

I know this was three years ago, but your my favorite person right now for saying that. Personally, I really don’t think their forgiveness of him was that rushed regardless of what other people in the fandom say


I feel like a lot of people forget that Spike's just a little kid, who was faced with the angry faces of all of his family and like, a bunch of royal guards. He didn't say anything because he was scared, not about his "fame" but about probably several things. He probably didn't want to disappoint his family, and he probably also didn't wanna get charged with, like, treason or something. Regardless, I think that Spike acted in a very normal way to the initial situation, or in other words he acted just like a scared, conditioned little kid would act. That's why his turnaround is so important and profound, he found bravery and stood up for someone even though he was scared of punishment- or worse. It's a TV-Y show, so of course we know that nothing bad would have happened to Spike, but the point is that, in context, he doesn't know that.

Sorry for the wall of text, Spike is one of my favorite characters and I think this was a great episode for him.

I feel like a lot of people forget that Spike's just a little kid, who was faced with the angry faces of all of his family and like, a bunch of royal guards. He didn't say anything because he was scared, not about his "fame" but about probably several things. He probably didn't want to disappoint his family, and he probably also didn't wanna get charged with, like, treason or something. Regardless, I think that Spike acted in a very normal way to the initial situation, or in other words he acted just like a scared, conditioned little kid would act. That's why his turnaround is so important and profound, he found bravery and stood up for someone even though he was scared of punishment- or worse. It's a TV-Y show, so of course we know that nothing bad would have happened to Spike, but the point is that, in context, _he_ doesn't know that.

Sorry for the wall of text, Spike is one of my favorite characters and I think this was a great episode for him.

I absolutely HATE Spike, but your argument makes a lot of sense and makes me hate him a little less in this episode.


Spike has always been the underdog of the show. He's constantly undermined and taken for granted, even by the MLP fandom itself. Because of that, I find it not only fitting, but very realistic of Spike to have hesitated in defending Thorax from being perceived as a threat. The ponies in the Crystal Empire are pretty much the ONLY ones that show Spike any meaningful semblance of respect, and here he's put in a situation where he is forced to choose between his morality and his emotional sanctuary, so to speak. Step up in Thorax's defense, Spike could've very easily have been branded a traitor that supports and/or excuses the same forces that nearly destroyed the empire in its entirety, and then he's back to being the afterthought of his own life.

I LOVE his moment of weakness, especially because it sets up a small window of time for him to mull the situation over in his head and, later, decide that his moral code is more important than keeping the one place where he is respected (as he deserves!) with a WONDERFUL song to boot! All in all, loved this episode, probably too much! :D

Spike is definitely the most underrated character. He has to put up with so much, and he keeps a good attitude with it. I couldn't spend a day in Spike's shoes, so to speak, and have as positive an outlook he has. Also, I find him, especially in his flaws, amazingly relatable.


21:35 Cadance: "I welcome you to the Crystal Empire, friend. Here, take this baby!"

@@CRATORISCRACKED i just bein’ jealous, you’re writing such an awsome comments

You forgot to add: “…as a sacrificial offering!”


13:30 Twilight: "Spike, you could have been using my Pen Pal quill set!  Why didn't you tell me?"
Spike: "Well, I pretty much only write to him when you and Starlight are... studying."
And he wouldn't want to interrupt those two when they're busy studying.

13:30 Twilight: "Spike, you could have been using my Pen Pal quill set!  Why didn't you tell me?"
Spike: "Well, I pretty much only write to him when you and Starlight are... studying."
And he wouldn't want to interrupt those two when they're busy _studying._

“”””Studying””””

“”””Studying””””


I like this episode very much. Thorax is another character that I grew fond of in this season. Never, did I imagine Changeling’s having a good heart. It was a little strange having Thorax join the circle of friendship, and yet really interesting. And I also like how we got a glimpse of the Changeling hive and some backstory on Thorax. Aside from him, I liked what the writers did for Spike in this episode. They gave him another story to shine in and I respect that. Of course, his song in the end is really good. One of the sweetest, heartwarming song’s I’ve heard in this show.


Usually it's hard to squeeze a tear out of me, only warmth in my heart , but this Spike song hit the target. Probably because I am sad to see what is happening in our world. One song sings "Because people are the greatest thing to happen" and I can't disagree. We have come so far from monkeys with sticks to the lords of the planet, our achievements are countless, but we cannot accept the fact that we are all the same deep inside.<br> I have always loved the pony world for its diversity of species, you will agree, it is much easier to be racist towards someone different from you in the structure of the body than if he just has a different skin. And at the same time, they do a better job with friendship than any person. Imagine how hard it will be for us to communicate with aliens if we can barely cope on Earth?

Usually it's hard to squeeze a tear out of me, only warmth in my heart , but this Spike song hit the target. Probably because I am sad to see what is happening in our world. One song sings "Because people are the greatest thing to happen" and I can't disagree. We have come so far from monkeys with sticks to the lords of the planet, our achievements are countless, but we cannot accept the fact that we are all the same deep inside.
 I have always loved the pony world for its diversity of species, you will agree, it is much easier to be racist towards someone different from you in the structure of the body than if he just has a different skin. And at the same time, they do a better job with friendship than any person. Imagine how hard it will be for us to communicate with aliens if we can barely cope on Earth?


14:55 "Why are the guards so pissed?"
They probably live in constant jealousy of Shining Armor.


Spike finally get a song.... and an great one... i almost cried...almost..


10:42 "Can you imagine how he would be in a sexual situation?"
If he's any good with that tongue, I don't think Thorax would have any problem getting all the love he could ever want.  =D

Thorax can have all of my love any day! 🖤

And yes, I can confirm that he is indeed very good with that tongue ;)

@@winter2716 Being a changeling, I presume he's also very good at roleplaying?


Fun Fact: Spike had a good solo song outside the show before this episode aired. I remember it being a Christ--<b>Coughs</b> hearth's warming eve song too. You can find it on Hasbro's channel too.

Fun Fact: Spike had a good solo song outside the show before this episode aired. I remember it being a Christ--*Coughs* hearth's warming eve song too. You can find it on Hasbro's channel too.

Josh Blackwell ...yeah....that happened. Wasn't really the best album the show has had, but I like the digital tracklisting including songs from A Hearths Warming Tale.

@@TheBlackQueen It may not have been the best but it wasn't bad, plus you've gotta admit, Days Gone By is . . . fucking beautiful.

True Edge Ashleigh does sing fantastically on that track, and the harmonies are simply beautiful! I'm just saying, Jolly Old St. Nicolas, Twelve Days of Christmas, and..... Last Year I Got Coal for Christmas.... really kinda ruin the album for me. Some songs are great, but those ones have prevented me from actually buying the album for the longest time, especially the latter.


Spike will have many more moments to shine, but this was the episode I was most proud of him. This is why Spike is one of my favorite characters of the series.


"the Sexy babe, the military guy, the weaboo and the demon's spawn" ayyy lmao


16:40 "They can turn into rocks?"
We may have just found the perfect date for Maud.

16:40 "They _can_ turn into rocks?"
We may have just found the perfect date for Maud.

At the time I made that comment, PonyBro didn't know about Mudbriar yet.


I loved Spike's song. Finally he had a good episode, along with season 6 episode 5.


One of the best Spike episodes in the show. He really becomes a character in S6. Absolutely phenomenal what his next couple of episodes do for him as well.


Question.  You were talking about Spike's fame was at risk, but given that Thorax is a changeling, a species whose only previous interaction with Equestria was a terrorist attack as you said before, in the off chance Spike's word wasn't enough to sway the ponies, wouldn't he be at risk of being accused as an accessory to terrorism, since he was defending an changeling who wasn't disguised?

In two ways, Spike was secure. The simplest way is this: Shining Armor helped Chrysalis get into Canterlot, but he is not guilty: Changelings have mind control powers. Thus, anything reflecting on Spike is possible to be hand-waved as mind control.

The second way is more show-friendly, but still cruel: Spike knows Twilight dotes on him like a combination of little brother and child, and Twilight would stand up for any decision Spike makes, especially one concerning friendship. The people Spike really needs to convince are Shining Armor and Cadence. But if Twilight makes a big public showing of supporting Spike, it will make a political schism if those two deny Thorax after that, as well as a familial schism. In order to keep both their family and Equestria stable, they HAD to accept Thorax if Twilight did as openly as she did.

Spike basically had the rulers by their tails, since convincing Twilight would be fairly likely, and once Twilight was convinced, the others would need to semper-fi to make a public showing of royal princess unity.

@@ravenscroftraven1786 Wow . . . I never thought of it like that . . . I'm . . . not sure I like it.  Mostly because I can find zero fault in your logic, and that bothers me.  Fuck.  Goddamn ponies and their deeper-than-they-seem lessons and politics!


2:24 "There's the Rarity plushie."
I hope he washes that thing.

@@Narrator007 I don't know man what do you mean by that


Best Spike episode of the entire series! Also, Thorax, I love you so much 🖤🖤


Season 6 was a great season for spikes character. Only took 4ish years

I actually like to call S6 the “Season of Spike!”


20:57 Remember this line, and the background music. Just remember it.

Because of the season finale, I’m guessing? Also, that music is a prominent recurring leitmotif throughout the series. It’s mostly used at or near the end of episodes, including this one, Twilight’s Kingdom (part 2), The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone, and many others.


00:56 That's where the Changeling sighting occurred, isn't it? ;)
01:36 "Because I'm a Changeling" ;)  And that's how the theme of this episode has been introduced...
04:32 Spike is Certification Authority right now :J  And since a Changeling could easily replace him too, doesn't it make you dubious about the entire idea of SSL certification? :q
05:05 I would say Diffie-Hellman key exchange part of TLS handshake if the keys weren't public and perfectly symmetric right here :q  They have to think of a better key exchange scheme if they don't want to fall prey to Changelings :q
05:40 Reminds me of that old fantasy board game "Diabelski Krąg" ("Devil's Circle") in which 4 mages are protecting an infant princess from getting possessed by one of 8 demons from hell who try to get to her at night ;>
06:04 Because he's more horny lately? :D
08:56 Pay close attention to the background music. There's a fragment of "This Day Aria" theme being played :> ("This day is going to be perfect..."). But the moment it starts the part "The kind of day of which I dreamed since I was small", the Changeling says "All I've ever wanted is a friend" which, oddly enough, fits the melody :>
11:31 The gradient on the middle guard's helmet inverted in a weird way.
12:30 Bits? :J
15:48 Well, there is an explanation (other than peer pressure):  the writers might have done that to show the two different ways one might act in this situation – the bad one and the good one – so that they could contrast them with each other, by showing the consequences of both, and letting the viewer decide which one is the better one.  If Spike simply did the good thing right away, I don't think it would have had the same impact.
18:14 Yup, his very first solo song.
20:25 The only problem I have with this entire premise is that Thorax didn't really "change" to a good guy – he was a good guy since birth. He didn't have to change himself. What had to change, though, is his image in other ponies' minds.
20:58 Trying to steal the spotlight, eh? ;J  Nice try, Princess, but you come second. Spike was first to "set an example" here.
21:21 Cadence, darling... kinda late to the party ;J  #metoo
22:00 Oh, you haven't seen his gayest form yet :D
22:58 Fun fact: The word "thorax" is a Latin word for the chest / torso, or the middle section of an insect's body.

Just a small correction, Twilight didn't try to take the spotlight, she tried to convince others and she actually said that it was spike the one to "set an example"


This is Equestria, dude!  Surely you've figured out by now:  Everything gets put on hold when somebody starts singing!

Yeeeaaah, it was a quick turn around there at the end but the episode was nearly over so they had to rush it.

Give a warm welcome to Thorax!  He's one snuggle bug that you're gonna get to know really well!

I wish he could be <i>my</i> snuggle bug IRL! 🖤

I wish he could be _my_ snuggle bug IRL! 🖤


MY BOOOOOOY THORAX OMG IVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS EPISODE.

No, he’s <i>my</i> boy, and you can’t have him! :P

No, he’s _my_ boy, and you can’t have him! :P


Despite Spike's moment of weakness, I'm glad he ended up doing the right thing. If he wasn't able to convince the others to give Thorax a chance, the admiration and respect he's earned could have been lost. Standing up for him took a lot of strength. One would have been enough, but Season 6 managed to give me another Spike episode that I love.


This is my best episode of the series. Thorax is a great character. The conflict is stellar. The ending is the best part.

Wait, this is actually your favorite episode of the entire series!?

My respect for you: ⬆⬆⬆


Explore Equestria is the theme of the season


Ever since Thorax became the leader of all changelings..Spike escapes to him as thorax approaches...it's like that Spike is not his friends anymore  like thorax needs him but his not there anymore

Yeah, it kinda annoys me how Spike clearly gives preference to Ember whenever the three of them are together, like in Triple Threat and School Daze.


17:27 - I'd have serious concerns about the professional qualifications of that guard who thought that a changeling might be hiding underneath a small picture frame. XD


Another changing encounter and we in the crystals empire 👏👏👏


I don't know but I feel like I'm inlove with thorax 😂❤ he's just so cute and adorable his voice is so pleasant to my ears and the way he talks and move 😊 I want that kind of boy in my life though 😢


No.

All forms of Thorax are adorable! 🖤

No.

_All_ forms of Thorax are adorable! 🖤


I liked that one too but that was one of the worst things spike has ever done but he did fix it fairly quickly.


Why can’t spike hide’s thorax as a secret that would be great so he doesn’t blow his cover


It's not that surprising that Thorax would have a hard time controlling himself. He probably hasn't eaten that much since he left the hive. According to him, changelings were always hungry back when they drained love.


Tbh, Luna is my favorite character, but objectively speaking I'd say Spike could very possibly be the best character of MLP

He’s in my top 5 characters of the series as well. It angers me that he got so much hate in the early days of the fandom, and even to this day he’s <i>still</i> vastly under-appreciated 😔

He’s in my top 5 characters of the series as well. It angers me that he got so much hate in the early days of the fandom, and even to this day he’s _still_ vastly under-appreciated 😔


I like this episode, but the quick turn around in the end rubbed me in the wrong way as well, I expected shining to be untrustful to the changeling, I mean he and cadence suffered the most because of them and I think a song fixing the problem to them is not the best fix.. The song was... alright. Anyway, it was a good showing for spike overall and thorax is a great character.

But Spike’s song <i>didn’t</i> convince Shining. He still had a big scowl on his face after it was over, remember? It took Twilight’s approval to finally convince him.

But Spike’s song _didn’t_ convince Shining. He still had a big scowl on his face after it was over, remember? It took Twilight’s approval to finally convince him.


15:50 - yeah...Spike pulled a Judas in what was his good friend :(


I appreciate how they use changelings as a metaphor for racism  the changes they make to Thorax over the usual changeling to make him cute like a long tail and ears negates the message a little implying changelings can be good as long as they are cute.


17:44 This is getting a little out of....HAND???

Before anyone brings up Equestria Girls, she was not in that world long enough to casual adopt human sayings.

Well, in a later episode we also hear Starlight use that same phrase.  It's just the writers slipping up a bit, you can't blame them for it.

True Edge They always slip up with that line. I just think it's funny when they do.

I watched every episode and I never noticed that they are using a hand quote in a world without hands.


Spikes song was pretty...meh to me. The lyrics just felt a little too cheesy.


thank you thank you so much man spike was a complete dick for not sticking up for him I was so pissed when he didn't stand up for him I mean yeah he did change his mind but at that moment I was so pissed with spike. also good spike song

(1 year late lol) Seeing as the Crystal Empire is the ONLY place where Spike is actually given true respect for the things that he's achieved and helped make possible to achieve, he probably sees it as the only place of emotional solace that he can go. Yes, of course Twilight would always be more than willing to put the time and effort in to help Spike with emotional issues, but being the Princess of Friendship, a title which gives her an inherent amount of status within her nation, it probably wouldn't be enough to truly help him. Heck, even a majority of the fandom sees Spike as the second fiddle, and there are many episodes that express how Spike feels like a bystander in his own life because of how little others acknowledge him.

As such, being put in a position where he has to give up all of that, the only place where he knows that he can be seen with dignity, for the sake of a single friend? Honestly, I'd think a majority of the people who are harping on Spike for this episode wouldn't have fared much better, and that's not even taking into account the potential consequences of having brought what was widely believed by the Crystal Empire to be the most prominent threat straight to the royal family and their BABY! There's a lot more than just the "stick up for your friends" message here.