kinda wish in the discord episode they got the mane 5 back not by a spell but by something more in-real-world. be kind to fluttershy even though shes being evil, be truthful with aj even though shes being a liar, stick to rd even though shes being a fucking кидала, go do something fun with pp even though shes being a grump, share with rarity even though shes being a horder. thats much to ask for because it would take like a whole other episode and make it a three-parter not a two-parter but i think the general message of 'when someone is in distress and cant be a good friend to you, you being a good friend for them Regardless can help much more than resenting' would fit the narrative. plus i think the elements of harmony kinda work like love languages in a way that you gotta speak them all actually. you gotta be able to have fun together, be generous, honest, loyal and kind. you dont gotta be magical no thats bullshit
that being said i think it was far better than the first seasons two-parter with nightmare moon defeat. i like how celestia looks like she does give a shit here, i like the girls infighting, i like how their actual behavior here matters, i like that they dont discover the powers on the go but are actually using an established magical artifact with rules on how to use it.