This thread is still here for some reason so I want to add to this >>42343830 Obviously Twilight's destiny is a story element but frankly I can't imagine anyone caring about that, is it interesting to have Twilight take over for Celestia at the end? No. These ponies are not real so I don't care, expanding the Everfree and controlling seasons is interesting. Which is funny because that's the only element the Toy Canon ended up using, the boring one.
But also, I know even in Season 1 Lauren was forced to do things. She was forced to change Queen Celestia and Luna to Princess, and forced to put a train into the Appleloosa episode, and it makes it all so tainted, when you realise this is all just a corporate junk product. The ONLY reason Hasbro wasn't more aggressive with season 1 was because Lauren accomplished their goal naturally by creating a new line of characters to make toys from, that's a natural connection anyway, but they got greedy by time season 2 came out.
The train in the Appleloosa episode is the greatest representation of what was going on where Lauren did not want a train, they wanted a train, so they compromised and had a train, but it was pulled by super fast stallions in a ridiculous stupid way. And I'm not sure but I guess the Toy department wanted a train but since that one there didn't really work for a toy they then made their own and forced it into season 2. Also Twilight Sparkle's balloon had to be in the show but that never felt at odds with the world, other than the fact it made no sense, why does Twilight have a balloon, where does she keep it, and then in season 3 they decided it's not actually hers.