Found myself very disappointed in the first part of "To Where and Back Again", one of the weakest two part season finales of the show and a lesser two parter overall. Disappointing for a show that mostly did very well with its two parters, openers and finales. It wasn't terrible, but the characters and story needed more work. It was a shame that an inconsistent Season 6, with six great episodes, four bad episodes and most somewhere in between started unevenly and finished even more unevenly.
"To Where and Back Again: Part 2" sadly isn't much of an improvement. The same good things that Part 1 had are here, but sadly so are the same bad things with a few more bad things along the way. Of the two parts, Part 2 is the marginally inferior half due to it having the worst aspect of the entire two parter that almost completely wrecked it. Again "To Where and Back Again: Part 2" is not terrible, but there is too much that doesn't work.
Pretty much all the good things present in Part 1 are here too. It is beautifully animated, especially the very imaginative visuals in the latter portions, which allows one to be fully immersed into the Changeling world, and the character design of Chrysalis. The music, interesting this is the first two parter to not be a musical-type episode, has groove and atmosphere. While not caring for the characterisation that much on the most part, there are no faults to be had with the voice acting. Kelly Sheridan and Kathleen Barr really do throw themselves into the characters of Starlight and Chrysalis.
Discord and Thorax are handled very well, Discord is a lot of fun to watch (the show really did redeem him in Season 6) and Thorax's role is more prominent and has a good nature that doesn't jar. Chrysalis makes more of an impression here with more screen time, compared to "A Canterlot Wedding" she is still somewhat subdued but there is a menace.
Sadly if the rest of the characterisation was better and if the storytelling was likewise, the conflict would have been a lot more believable. There is again an overuse of Starlight, again too perfect and with not many leadership qualities. How things are resolved are through convenience and not by her. Really did not see the point of the Mane 6, again on the most part uninteresting and unlikeable apart from one small moment with Fluttershy.
While the story is more eventful this time round, it still felt bland and lacked excitement and suspense. As well as being too reliant on too convenient plot devices. The dialogue is a little better in this part, but still tends to be too mechanical. Other than the overuse of Starlight, what really brought "To Where and Back Again: Part 2" is most brought down by the ending. Which felt rather rushed, very anti-climactic and again too easily resolved. And seriously the way Starlight interacts with Chrysalis at the end while the rest of the characters are suddenly put on pause was unnecessary and incredibly silly. The message is a good one but heavy-handedly executed here.
On the whole, an average way to finish an inconsistent season. 5/10.