Discord makes his return in this cleverly made episode, that I’m sure some fans love, and some fans hate. I say this because at the end of this episode (and actually throughout its entirety) it changes the character of Discord. Discord has always been a fan favorite, so seeing him return was a huge surprise for me, but in the best way possible. I love Discord, and I love Q, and I love John De Lancie!
However, this episode does have a few missteps that are worth noting. Firstly, the biggest and probably most controversial aspect of this episode was the whole change to Discord. I, personally, do not find it inherently wrong to quote on quote “resurrect” a villain, especially a fan favorite, to be all evil for one more episode. But the writers clearly had a plan in mind to make him somewhat of a guest appearance (perhaps each season?) and they dove right into the “lets reform him” party and stuck Fluttershy at head.
This… I’m not really sure (even after like five re watches) what my true opinion on this is. I suppose the most prevalent word circling throughout my melon-shaped head is “nervous”, as I’m not sure if they ruined the Discord character. Now… I’m not saying they did, but he sure-as-hell acted differently even when he was released from his stone prison. In fact, dare I say he was less “chaotic” and more random?
I mean, this is the man-deer-snake-goat… thingy that turned Ponyville upside down! LITERALLY! So having him have peaceful discussion (albeit with chaotic connotations) was sort of jarring. But, that’s not to say that he isn’t Discord, because he is, and he still is the most original character this show has to offer, constantly making me laugh and gasp in amazement.
In fact, the entire idea of this episode was actually pretty interesting and fun. Putting the most nervous and shy character with the most outspoken and nutty one? Sounds amazing! Of course I’m still waiting for my Pinkie x Discord episode… but I digress. This provided for an interesting 2/3, but when the third act came about, I couldn’t help but bite my teeth in nervousness. This is mostly because I’m guessing they wouldn’t have made an episode like this if they didn’t plan on making him return.
The writing error of this entire episode starts at its core. How could the GOD of CHAOS become benign and nice? IT’S THE GOD OF CHAOS! That’s where the paradox kicks in and you are left scratching your head.
The comedy was well-timed for the most part, however, it seems like there was once again some continuity issues with the character. If he needed to turn normal beavers into evil beavers just to flood the dam… how the hell did he flip Ponyville on its ass in the season 2 premier? Couldn’t he just snap his… claws? Together and make it happen? I mean, the thing made ponyville have a checkered floor pattern.
But this isn’t to say the episode isn’t entertaining, oh no, this episode was really good, and downright hilarious at times. Apart from the controversial third act, I really did enjoy this episode and what it could have possibly opened up to be explored in the future. So this ended up being a welcome return of Discord, and I eagerly await seeing him again, hopefully in a more chaotic position.
Pros:
-Discord’s long awaited return!
-Great comedic timing
-“Eat any good books today?” YES!
-Fluttershy getting the starring role in this entertaining episode
-The “Q snap” should be both an action, and a name of an 80’s cheesy dance move
-Every character getting some entertaining dialogue in this character-driven episode
Cons:
-Continuity issues with Discord as a character
-Less chaotic!
-All Discord needed… was a friend? Tell that to all the ponies he brainwashed!
-The third act could be either good or bad… we’ll have to see.
Grade: B+
awkwardreviews 
I want to hate this episode, but I can’t.
The characters acted horribly : Fluttershy using her affection to manipulate Discord (I don’t care if he’s too dangerous, it’s still cruel), and Twilight who wanted to make a reforming spell… In my book, a reforming spell=Azkaban for life.
The ending was extremly rushed, and I really don’t like the fact that Discord if reformed. But if he’s still an anti-hero rather than a hero, it’s okay. I just want him to be normal, not like the way he acted in the last scene of this episode, good or evil.
Celestia was just a troll, she let Discord to the Mane 6 and just leaves, certain that everything will turns out okay…
And now that Discord is reformed, I hope we have a Discord and Pinkie episode, damn it…
And I’d like to see with Discord and Celestia the same relation that Q and Janeway have.
But like I said, I can’t hate this episode, because… It was so god damn entertaining. The simple fact that Discord was in the episode made it good. And the Mane 6 have their moments too, especially RD, who really cares about Fluttershy.
So I’d say I’ll buy Keep Calm and Flutter On on blu-ray
Well at the end of the episode Discord does say that he was ready to use his powers for good instead of evil (most of the time) so I think that he wont be just completely boring or anything like that. Besides I’m sure that the show brought him back because he was fan favorite not because they thought that little kids would learn a lot from this episode. Just like they tried to help us out for the Equestria girls thing they saw all the artwork and figured that it was what we wanted. (Not saying that it actually turned out good but you know what I mean). On the other hand if there is a Pinky Pie and Discord episode I wonder what it would be about.
Surprised the pacing wasn’t an issue. From a picture I saw on eqd it seems that he will be in at least 1 episode