@Background Pony #95DB  
Sorry for the necro, but they only have 22 minutes to tell a story; sometimes shortcuts need to be taken in the script.

@Beau Skunky  

We haven’t seen anything that suggests such a thing, though. Besides, the comics are EU. Much like the chapter books and EQG.
 

Considering that her presence on the moon causes the Mare in the Moon to resurface, and that she’s making references to having been defeated by the Mane 6 before, I find the notion that “Nightmare Rarity ISN’T Nightmare Moon” pretty dang hard to believe. It’s pretty much a case of “same mind, different body”.

@Background Pony #63F6  
Some consider the comics an alternative continuity, and most consider Nightmare Rarity almost a different character from Nightmare Moon.

@Jack Lantern: I was talking about this when I said “actually, technically speaking, Nightmare Moon did make a comeback”.  

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@Background Pony #63F6  
If you mean the ‘Nightmare Night’ episode, that was less about Luna succumbing to her darker side and more about her willing to embrace the LEGEND it created. Remember that the way modern ponies see Nightmare Moon is significantly different than how Nightmare Moon actually was. Rather than a jealousy fueled tyrant, they see her as a scary boogeyman to frighten misbehaving foals. Luna was able to take on the role of the Nightmare Night version of Nightmare Moon because that version was less horrible. It’s basically like the difference between Heath Ledger’s version of Joker, and Cesar Romero’s version. Both are scary, but one is much less so.

@Jack Lantern  

Nightmare Moon did make a return appearance sometime before this episode aired, though. And in the most technical sense possible.

Yeah, this is probably my favourite episode, and the conclusion of the arc that made Luna my favourite princess.

@WM-R  
Yeah, that’s why I feel like the whole ending emotional-drama-reveal was rushed.
 
The dream-adventures stuff in the rest of the episode was good tho.

@Amethyst_Crystal
 
Ah, this, I feel is a valid criticism. It’s a lot better than going, “Fanservice, pah!” or “Pandering!” or what-not.
 
Still, from the point of view of the CMC (and the rest of Ponyville), I’d argue they have no idea what’s going on, simply that there’s a threat and they can help stop it.
 
It’d be like if the Fantastic Four and the X-Men showed up during the climax of the Avengers movie. There wouldn’t be time to bring them up to speed. Captain America’d probably just point at the invading aliens, say, “Those are the bad guys,” and the FF and X-Men would begin engaging.

@Amethyst_Crystal  
disappointment at the missed chance i mean :P

@WM-R  
I can understand reasons for why she’d want to avoid having Celestia involved this time, but I can’t help but still be disappointed at this chance for some character development between the two sisters.
 
Having absolutely no dialogue or interaction with the CMC after helping each of them out in their own nightmares over the past few seasons tho…  
I think they missed a goldmine opportunity there. This could’ve been like the perfect finale to that: CMC helping Luna instead.

@WM-R  
“Sonic Boom” isn’t bad, but I wouldn’t mind a li’l continuity and few callbacks to older episodes, (though they have had a few background/bit characters reapear) or some fan-service, like Sonic fan in-jokes like the Archie Sonic comic has had on a rare occasion.
 
The only problem with “Sonic Boom” is, it sometimes feels more like a “parody” of the Sonic series, rather then a legit Sonic series. It’s still amusing though.

@WM-R  
at this point I think the bps are just looking for reasons to hate the show now

@Background Pony #0FA0
 
Why is fanservice bad? Why are callbacks bad? I don’t follow.
 
Perhaps you prefer the method they use for Sonic Boom, where nothing that happens in episodes have any bearing on others?

@Background Pony #0FA0  
Well, can’t please everyone. Especially, anons.

@Beau Skunky  
Pretty strange that the “deep” episode was full of fanservice and forced callbacks to previous seasons, and had a horribly sudden resolution.

@WM-R  
True, Luna sense she feels bad for all the trouble she caused, wouldn’t want to make her sister “suffer,” and doesn’t like to bother her with things that she feels are her fault. She’s kinda independent too.

@WM-R  
I think that she only involved the Mane 6 at first because they were the ones affected at first. Luna wanted to fix this problem as quick as possible, involving as few ponies as possible to reduce the amount of suffering there is.
 
Celestia wasn’t present so she didn’t want to cause her any suffering by involving her

@Amethyst_Crystal
 
@Background Pony #AFF3
 
@Beau Skunky
 
Is it not possible Luna simply doesn’t want to involve Celestia because Celestia should be resting at night? That, or Luna doesn’t want to keep running to her big sister for help whenever she has trouble? My own brothers and sisters try to handle their problems on their own and only come to me for help if it’s out of their league.
 
I imagine that should Tantabus successfully escape, Luna’d swallow her pride and get Celestia involved.

I guess we’ll have to face facts, Celestia is a background pony. :(

@Background Pony #AFF3  

 
QFT

I have to agree that Luna’s advice in the past dream episodes makes sense to be from personal experience.
 
It also makes sense for Luna to have a lot of her own personal issues about her past.
 
I feel like this episode did a terrible job of expressing and resolving her problems though.
 
They spent all of 5 minutes on it at the end.
 
Even worse that the CMC never bothered to talk with her or encourage her,  
after all she did for their dreams.

It’s easier to say than to do right Luna? Maybe the saving point of this season. It was a strong message, and something that people need to learn.

@Jack Lantern
 
Plus I have a feeling Luna wasn’t really honest when she claimed that Celestia couldn’t help.  
I’m under the impression that Celestia didn’t even know about this throughout the episode.  
A common theme in the show is that Celestia is pretty much kept out of the loop and this seems to be no different.  
I can imagine Celestia being furious had she found out Tentapus was Luna’s creation  
to make her suffer every time she slept as a result of her guilt trip.  
I would have been too if I had a sibling whom I love did the same thing behind my back.

@Jack Lantern  
Very well put.