@RighteousIndignayshun  
Depending on the lifespan of a changeling, it might be a moot point by the time they finally reach a consensus.

If not in this episode, I’d expect fan art of Cadance or Shining crossed over with this:
 

 
(This is the only GIF on the first page of search results not from the first Avengers… Well, I found that funny. XD )

It was probably already mentioned, but seeing this load in slow motion, man Shining Armor looks pretty angry.

@Scrounge  
I’m still imagining a room of Crystal Empire delegates bickering over what to do with the poor guy.

@RighteousIndignayshun  

 
Well, there is that theory that’s been around since “Slice of Life” about him crying at weddings because he has PTSD.
 

 
@RighteousIndignayshun  

 
Well, there’s a risk of too many viewpoints making it hard to follow, but more importantly there’s only so much screentime in an episode.

@RighteousIndignayshun
 
This would make for a great angle as long as the writers still try and portray Shining in a sympathetic and understanding light, instead of just going for the easy option of painting him as “the bad guy”.
 
What he and Cadence went through was an inexcusable living nightmare that by all rights would require serious counselling in real life. Of course, this is a kid’s show and the realistic damage of such events is never really tapped into, perhaps for the better.
 
And as this is a kid’s show, I’m fairly confident the writers are decidedly not going to do the Grimdark Ron the Death Eater thing with Shining. The writers, old and new, understand the tone and spirit of this show and I can’t see them carelessly tearing down his character like that.
 
But I’d like to see is the episode treating his anger as justified. From a moral and ethical standpoint, anyone will argue that it’s wrong for Shining to have this prejudice. But it’s a prejudice you can understand. His feelings come from a genuine place feeling of hurt and shame that anyone with a brain should be able to relate to if they were in his position. Call me crazy, but he’s allowed to be angry over what happened to him and Cadence, and it baffles me how so many fanfics refuse to even grant him even that right.
 
Let’s not forget, the threat Queen Chrysalis and the Changeling Kingdom poses is still very real. They are still actively plotting against Equestria and will happily see everything Shining and the ponies love and care about reduced to rubble. Worse still, Shining Armor is a father now. Imagine his feelings if he discovers the mare who brainwashed him and used him as a pawn who is still out there plotting her revenge has found out he has a child…
 
Even if the changeling Spike befriends has committed no crime, Shining being a hardass still has a valid basis other than making the latter look like a douche to make Spike and the changeling look better. Him bringing up questions like “What if the changeling is lying?” or “What if he only saved you to get you to trust him?” are perfectly good questions when you’re dealing with creatures whose entire schtick is shapeshifting trickery.
 
The issue isn’t that Shining Armor is wrong, I just want him to be wrong for the right reasons.

Heck, who says they have to limit to two viewpoints? Put up a whole spectrum of other’s opinions, and watch them bounce off each other as this hapless changeling bumbles his way through politics and friendships!
 
Maybe someone would want him to stay in the castle to make sure the populace doesn’t freak out and another who’d want that to keep a watchful eye on him, someone else might prefer keeping an eye on him as he just lives out his life wherever, another would let him roam free and do as he pleases, maybe someone thinks to use him for political purposes – to help Equestria find Chrysalis’ hive or wherever he came from for diplomatic or militaristic reasons – another might want him in custody, out of suspicion or for the hullabaloo at the wedding, another might want him out of the Empire completely; the list goes on and on!

@Scrounge  
That would be another interesting idea, and I honestly think that’s how it’s going to be, given what we’ve got so far.
 
Actually, what would really be interesting is, if they decide to have Shining act all vindictive and angry about it, what if it was everyone vs. Shining? Though, instead of just being angry because “dere’s de chanelins en my hoos”, perhaps present him as untrusting, frantic, and overly paranoid, like he’s reliving some sort of Vietnam flashback. I dunno exactly how badly his wedding affected him, if really any noteworthy at all, so I can’t say this will be likely, but it would be an interesting angle.

What I’d really like is for there to be actual divided opinions on the changeling, rather than just “Spike vs everyone”. Not holding my breath, but still…

@royalbardofequestria93  
Well, some people (including myself) think that Chrysalis’ hive wasn’t representative of the entire species, but I can see your grievances. I’m not sure how exactly the episode will go, but I can see a myriad of ways of it going wrong and just becoming a generic “racism is bad, m’kay” episode like Bridle Gossip kinda was. Season 6 has been pretty hit or miss so far, but this really does have the potential to be one of the most controversial episodes of the show, if not one of the worst.

@RighteousIndignayshun  
I guess it just annoys me as a plot point because it’s gotten cliched. There’s a damned good reason to be wary of changelings.

@royalbardofequestria93  
in season 1 they were afraid of zecora

@royalbardofequestria93  
Well, it’s real, just not as prevalent as some claim it is.

@Magic Man  
MLP does not cover prejudice well, mainly because racism is not a real thing.

@Background Pony #7D07  
And when it doesn’t and points out the same shit that we’ve been saying about him and everyone else having EXTREMELY VALID reasons to being paranoid, the rest of us are gonna laugh at you two.

@thps48  
Same thing, but animated :3
 

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your current filter.

@thps48  
>>1209723

@dontebell  
@dontebell  
It may have been implicated, but one of us may as well ask: Show us proof. <_<

@SuperSonic15  
it was on TV last week, and they just show it again today. and he was also talking to Twilight

@dontebell  
Where’s that anyway? The latest promo video I’ve seen on Equestria Daily?

there is another promo that show the changeling meeting Twilight

@Magic Man
 
I couldn’t agree more with everything you said. Call me pessimistic, but I’d bet that’s exactly what’s going to happen.

@Scrounge  
No, yes, Chrys will throw him a curb party in the season finale. XD

@Tragiclady  
There’s no “pretty much” about it, she did mind control him. And given Chryssy’s personality, I somehow doubt she was purely professional about it.
 
If I were in his shoes, I imagine that at the very least I’d never want to see another changeling as long as I lived.

@Magic Man  
What are you talking about? Spike and/or Ching Chang Chong will probably convince Shining and Cadance he is good now because of his newfound friendship with Spike as Fluttershy has done with Discord. Most of the time, baddies do this by righting a wrong like Discord as aforementioned and Zuko. ^w^