@Background Pony Number 17  

 
Eh, I don’t know about that. I’d be concerned that the writers felt they had to do that because they were getting nagged by the fans who kept yelling “murder”.

@Background Pony Number 17  
Pfff, as if the people accusing Twilight of murder now would ever consider her name cleared.

@Phemto  

 
Hopefully some time they’ll do an episode where the clone herd returns. They’re too funny to be one-shot characters. That, and it would give the writers a chance to clear Twilight’s name, say, by having the herd willingly let Twilight return them to the mirror pool this time.

@vevans0009  
The show’s always been great at facial expressions, but yeah these two are pretty great.
 
@Philosopher Stone  
She already has Marble. It’d have to be an evil triplet.
 
@Background Pony Number 17  
You have a point.

I knew one of them might’ve escaped

@Evilworld  
It actually sends them to other cartoon shows.

@toonbat  
They thought a rock would keep that pool secure.

@toonbat  
Or so she thinks it did.

I don’t worry about it too much, because despite the delightfully gruesome visuals, Twi did point out that the spell does not really destroy them, but just sends them back where they came from.

@Tszeb  
What he said.

@Background Pony #5611  
Good point, although you could probably argue that Gravity Falls had a much higher “acceptable darkness” threshold. I personally hope that if one of the writers comes up with a great story line for escaped pinkie clones, they don’t don’t let that stop them.

@Phemto  
No one batted an eye when Dipper clones melted into wet papers and two of them are still loose in Gravity Falls Forest

Pinkie Prime’s expression alone would have been enough to make this shot memorable.

The implied darkness of the great pink purge of season 3 is probably biggest thing that would keep the writers from running with this. Don’t make the kids look into it too closely.
 
That said. You could explain it away in a variety of ways. I’m just not sure you could do it in a simple enough sound bite to fit into a 22 minute program.
 
Of course, Twilight could answer it without really answering it. “I didn’t zap them. I sent them back to the pool. There’s a difference!”

The poor thing… she has to stay in hiding to keep Twilight from murdering her.

So I guess joeywaggoner comic “the clone that got away” is now semi-canon?

@MidS  
I’m going to go with Clone, but I’m going to go one step beyond and say that this was the first Pinkie Clone, who was a good-enough copy to wander off on her own before anyone spotted her.

If that is a Pinkie Clone, then that is extremely dark. That means the clones really do have personalities are desires, and are able to function on their own. That they have survival instincts. This means that one is hiding from certain death. And considering how scared she looks, I bet Pinkie’s exclamation horrified her. Because if she was found, then she would be murdered.

Best part of the show. My son literally fell on the floor.
 
I know this is just a throwaway gag reference to “Too Many Pinkie Pies,” but now I desperately want it to be foreshadowing as well; either to an episode where they discover one or more escaped Pinkie’s who’ve made lives for themselves on the run, or we just keep seeing Easter eggs of Pinkies in various forms of disguise. As far as I’m concerned Molly (in the club upstairs) is still possible candidate. We saw her cutie mark, but she wouldn’t be the first pony to paint over theirs.
 
As for all the alternative explanations, I’m not going to argue. If it’s self consistent and doesn’t grossly violate canon, the writers could claim it’s any one of those scenarios, right down to a changeling of a clone of human universe, alternate timeline pinkie who’s come through the portal and then back in time to try to save pinkie from developing the toothache that keeps her at home the day the mane six should have joined forces and saved Equestria from the ninth apocalypse.
 
I’m just going with the most obvious here.

@Background Pony #0C62  
Clone, Changeling, or EqG Pinkie.

Given that Pinkie mentioned something about watching paint dry, I’m pretty sure that was referencing a clone.

I consider the “changeling” explanation more plausible due to already having had an unexpected changeling cameo in the season opener. It could be like Starlight Glimmer was throughout season 5.

@Background Pony #DA98
 
Pinkie:“Dojyaaan!”

Either changeling, or escaped clone. Hmm…