I too am disappointed that they seemed underutilized, but two of my personal fan theories were confirmed by their appearance. 1, Adagio spitting “Human scum” under her breath more or less confirms that, while they have lost their powers, they are basically (quite possibly literally) daemons that look down on mortal races. Even if Aria and Sonata bug the shit out of her, they’re the only people Adagio respects to any degree. 2, Whether they have magic or not they won’t become a recurring antagonist not because they’ve seen the error of their ways, but because of the futility of their actions. They’re a group determined to make it their own way, despite everyone in their way. They haven’t changed much, but just enough that a redemption arc could be feasible.

@Twi Clown  

 
Pretty much this. Staying villains, they’d only end up like either Sombra (dead) or Chrysalis before Grogar; pitiful, wretched, and a complete joke going slowly going insane with repeated failures.
 
I like the route they’re taking instead; they don’t need another inevitable defeat followed by a Hero Soapbox to get on with their lives. They aren’t necessarily redeemed, but I think this makes them better, they even reform better than just about everyone else; on their own.

@genervt
 
Maybe, but still, I don’t think postcrush should be blamed for that.
 
Besides, in a previous short it was clear that the Dazzlings are not interested in revenge. In a way, it saves them from being humiliated even more by just begrudginly accepting what they had and move on with what they’ve got.

@Twi Clown  
Infinite chances to steal the magical geodes.
 
Or just a redemption.
 
They were really wasted.

@genervt
 
To be fair, I have no idea how a time loop would help them at all in their revenge. I found their time onscreen serviceable.

@Twi Clown  
So much drama because the Dazzlings had so little time.

So much drama just because the dazzlings weren’t the villains this time around.

Of course you were thats why its so funny.😆😆😆

Feels bad man

@Background Pony #39F7  

 
Well, I gave mine already; if you remember them as nothing but a red herring in this special, you weren’t paying attention.

@Twidorable
 
Fair enough!
 
To everyone: what was the fandom’s response to this red herring? I remember when the fans were so enraptured by the dazzlings in their debut but seeing this…

@Background Pony #39F7  
IMO the majority (perhaps vast majority) of content outside of the shorts was underwhelming or just plain lousy.

@Twidorable  

 
The specials are the extra nails to the coffin; if having a side one-off “special” was enough to rot the original as to kill it, then the original wasn’t strong at all to begin with

I think the crappy “specials” are what killed EQG. Watching paint dry would’ve been more engaging.

Careful, Adagio, don’t confuse Sonata with food-based terms.

I’m not wrong to think the initial “explicit” tagging was incorrect, right?

So Equestria Girls has finally fallen down to FIM’s level.

You deserve better, Dagi.  
You deserve better.

Talking like they weren’t bland pieces of shit themselves

A red herring, and the turning point of the special at which Sunset figures out what she’s been doing wrong, if I remember right.

Maybe there WAS a good reason to go ahead and cancel Equestria Girls.