End of the brony golden age? Angst among adult fans of My Little Pony as community declines

VANCOUVER, B.C. — Max Gardiner watched his first episode of My Little Pony on Nov. 17, 2011. “Don’t ask,” he said. “I’m good with dates.”
It wasn’t the most memorable episode. It was partway into the show’s second season, and the story was about a young pony desperate to have some special talent who learns that good things come to those who wait. The show always offers a lesson.
Early in his last year of high school, Gardiner was going throug