>>6438
>a possible counterpoint for season 5 is that they did appear to have set up for existential questions on Cutie Marks.
well, perhaps that was the main theme intended for the season i f we correlate it with Appleloosa´s Most Wanted, Bloom and Gloom and especially, Crusaders of the Lost Mark (the images that you have posted right here)

I am resorting to memory (so don´t take this line too seriously) but I think that there were plausible certain suspicions that Dolores could have guided the CMC instead for getting their cutie marks and trick them with her ideals (theory that could be raised because of Apple Bloom´s nightmare, staring at her own shadow in Bloom And Gloom). Of course this was discarded when the finale happened but the premiere did leave that impression that the season could have aimed at that direction.

However, what we got in the end related to that theme were those 3 episodes + the premiere so while one could mention this topic, it didn´t get enough prominence in order to qualify it as an arc nor a consistent theme for that season. Too many separate episodes going at different directions to even consider a seasonal arc for it.

>They had touched on some of what I mentioned with the CMC (and it seems like one there was a line or two in another ep that I wrote down once of being of possible interest)
yes, they touched the topic but...they left it right there. If an episode like On Your Marks or something akin to The Cutie Pox aired on season 5, then we could see a fair amount of episodes dealing with the recurring theme and so, it would become more relevant for it (although it would also give the impression that the CMC would rob time over the mane 6 if that was the case)