Season 4 Theories

Well, we're halfway through Season 4, and it seems to me a growing trend has become clear: Season 4 has been the season DHX have been wanting to make ever since it became clear that the brony movement wasn't just a passing fad. More importantly, with Season 4, the total number of episodes has gotten extremely close to 100, which historically has been the number one has to reach in order to go into syndication.
What does this mean? Well, once a show is syndicated, it essentially becomes a license to print money. The studio doesn't have to worry so much about the ratings, because each episode they make will net them a profit.
And while, for many shows, this means a reduction in quality (leading to the whole "jumping the shark" phenomenon), for MLP I feel like the exact opposite is happening.

Hasbro got season 3. It was DHX's sacrifice of flesh, so to speak. They got rid of a lot of the fan elements that made Hasbro nervous - such as Derpy - and focused a lot on stories that would sell toys - crystal ponies, for example, and, yes, even Twilicorn. They even cut it short, producing a movie, again designed to sell toys, and one that, if cut up into a three-part episode, would put the total number that much closer to 100. Yes, there was some fanservice in the season, such as The Magic Duel, but those kinds of episodes were the exception more than the rule.

Now, Hasbro has already paid for the season 4, and they don't have to worry about ratings because, like I said, syndication is an option. Plus, DHX has already proven they can make a lot of money. Now, with season four, it really feels like Hasbro has finally said "You know what DHX? You got this. Just keep making episodes, and we'll keep writing the checks." And what have we gotten? An overarching story plot. A frankly super dark season opener, one that goes into a lot of areas the fandom wanted to see explored. Special guest stars like Weird Al Yankovich. The return of fan-favorite characters, and more focus on background ponies we like. Some real character development. Brony memes showing up (Twilightlicious anypony?). And, well, let's just say, there's a loooooot of radar-evasion going on here (Apples. Just....apples).

Season 4 is what DHX can do when Hasbro isn't breathing down their necks, and, so far, it's shaping up to be the best season yet. There's hardly a bad apple in the bunch of episodes so far (I thought Castlemaneia was maybe a bit cliché-heavy, but otherwise okay), and I really am excited to see where the story is headed.