Twilight’s friends actively hiding a genuine crisis from her because they wish to protect her feelings is so infantilizing. And Twilight instantly getting over all of her stress with one deep breath is a ridiculous overcorrection. We’re talking about someone with an anxiety problem in an objectively stressful situation. It would take a little longer than that. There is zero empathy for her in this. They would never write Fluttershy this way. Also, Twilight writes long checklists because she likes them, not as a coping mechanism, so that early scene with the flash cards comes off to me as weirdly sour. That’s a fun quirk that makes her endearing, not a flaw that she needs to manage. It has never been a source of serious conflict. So does this show take issue with every single one of her qualities that isn’t absolutely perfect? I like too many of the jokes in this to say it truly sucks, but I do hate it.