I have a relative who works in animation, he says in order to fix things without causing delays on a tv show they animate episode ahead of the most recent one we’re actually seeing on tv. For example: When we were seeing S3’s first and second episode on TV, they most likely were already doing work on the finale.

@Background Pony
 
Still waiting for the evidence to back up such assertions to appear…

@Whatevs  
Twilicorn WAS at the insistence of Hasbro. It’s been confirmed that Hasbro wanted it from the start, in fact, while Faust was against the idea - Faust was no longer involved in the writing when S3 came around, so guess when they rolled out the Twilicorn bit.
 
Also, nah, it was pretty clear that she was lying the whole way through, to keep the spoilers out of the way - at least until it became impossible to deny them any longer.

@SeraphimDawn
 
I actually had to check myself to make sure that I wasn’t being forgetful when I asked that question, because after watching the show for quite a while, it’s a question that would naturally come up.
 
I remain under the assumption that they were created around or before the time of the celestial princesses (ie just before the events portrayed in Hearts Warming Eve)

@sargesprinkles
 
Sarcasm or not, there is at least one person out there as pathetic as this, to which I can gladly wish they jam up a spade up their ass to shovel out the stupid.
 
Bronies need to get a grip on their perspective.

@Ebalosus  
I’ve been asking that question myself ever since I started watching the show. Some people have a theory that the elements are the powers of the Goddess of Harmony sealed inside 6 artifacts.
 
Perhaps this would be a excellent theme for a FiM Movie: My Little Pony: Origin of Harmony

@Background Pony
 
The “defeating the windigos created the crystal heart” theory is intriguing, I’ll give you that :)
 
As for Discord = Starswirl, I’m not so sure about, since that would be a major part of discord’s (not to mention Equestria’s) backstory, thus would have been mentioned by now within the show.
 
Still, I’ll log that in the possible category for now

@Ebalosus
 
I think that defeating the Windigos is maybe what created the crystal heart – partially because they summon a giant heart at the end of HWE, partially because the Crystal Empire is in the middle of a frozen wasteland.
 
If this is the case, that would actually make the crystal empire the urheimat of pony culture.
 
… I was going somewhere else with that, but actually, if you go with the Discord = Starswirl thing, maybe Starswirl created the EoH to be used against himself in case he turned evil?

@SeraphimDawn
 
No, that just raises a huge question in my head:
 
Where the hell did the original Elements of Harmony come from?
 
No seriously, I’d really like to know. At the moment, I’m suspecting that either Celestia/Luna, or Starswirl, or Starswirl’s Teacher created them. Why? Because they weren’t used to defeat the Windigos, thus we can safely assume that they were either in development/not developed/not known of yet.

I think they have enough room for 3 more element bearers.
 
Element of Courage  
Element of Forgiveness  
Element of Justice

@Background Pony
 
You mad?

A few things. I may be wrong on some of the facts so feel free to correct me.
 
Twilicorn was not at the insistence of Hasbro.
 
She did “lie” but I would argue that it was more carelessness than a specific intent to deceive.

@Background Pony1  
Much like what politicians have to deal with, am I right?

@Background Pony  
In regards to Sonic fans, I heard that the current writer of the officially-licensed Sonic comic (Ian Flynn) actually gets death threats from so-called “Sonic fans.”
 
I hope we’re not getting that bad. :(

@MeshGearFox
 
Christ is #firstworldproblems ever the douchiest and most unnecessary thing ever.

@Putinforgod
 
ib4 it’s a “very special episode.”  
ib4 she miscarries.  
ib4 it’s the series finale, and that’s all you’re left with.
 
forever.

“i’m still disgusted by the episode being one gigantic product placement”
 
#firstworldproblems

@Background Pony
 
True, but it doesn’t make that bitter pill any more easier to swallow. I think Larson did a decent job, but it left too many things open. Personally, i’m still disgusted by the episode being one gigantic product placement, and that chariot thing at the end didn’t make it easier. As soon as I saw that chariot picture, it felt like an a-hole slapping me on the back when they knew full well I had a sunburn.
 
I just really expect things to degrade as Hasbro decided to match princesses with princesses to compete with Disney, and turn more ponies into regal mares for the hell of it. The crew will be knee deep in turds as they are left to write decent episodes, shoveling the crap out of that pit we use to call home.

@Rainbow Dash
 
I fear that episode too.

@kruppenstein
 
Given how Larson got a lot of shit (though ‘Thanks, M.A. Larson!’ was kind of a sarcastic take on the hate towards him) since he was writing the finale, I’m surprised he didn’t throw his hands in the air. The crew got crap because of the giant flaming hoop that the executives set up for them to jump through. Wasn’t their fault.

@Background Pony  
Just because it’s a kids show doesn’t mean it cant receive the same treatment as the others you listed. The only thing that matters is how much you enjoy the show, not who it was made for.

Yet more Sonic bashing fandom stuff comes up any time there’s even a bit of drama. I’m not knee deep in the Sonic fandom but if they are even half as tolerant of their own fandom than this one then that’s a plus for them.
 
Pony fandom makes a way worse fuss over how we seem or how we feel we portray ourselves than any actual drama itself. It’s kind of a self fulfilling prophesy in a way.

@Background Pony
 
Meghan never lied about Alicorn Twilight

I love imagining how fed up the writers must be with us by this point.

@Beatfox
 
It pretty much is and she’s still going to get crap until S4 comes out and probably more if she fell back on another promise.