Friendship is Magic Season 6 Impressions

In order to stop leaving these to the last minute, I've decided on a different approach. Tomorrow, I will start working on my impressions for every other season, and I'll work on them all on and off. Season 7 will be released on June 30th, and Season 2 will be released on August 1st. Until then, let's talk about Season 6. After The Cutie Re-Mark, I was very cautious going into this season, so I had lowered expectations for the season opener. I also failed to keep up with this season after either The Cart Before the Ponies or 28 Pranks Later. Before we get going, I thought I'd mention that some of these opinions will be controversial. Sure, I've had unpopular opinions before (like The One Where Pinkie Pie Knows), but I disagreed with the majority this season more than any other. Just thought I'd warn you. Also, keep in mind that these are impressions, not reviews. They're brief and subject to change at any point. The full reviews won't be released anytime soon.

(Full reviews of episodes will be linked once they're made.)

The Crystalling - Part 1 (1 viewing)
The Crystalling - Part 2 (1 viewing)

This episode was much better than it could’ve been considering the Season 5 finale, but disappointing when compared most other two-parters. The plot line with Flurry Heart was decent (minus the crystal ponies being stupid), but Starlight’s plotline was mostly uninteresting and forgettable, mainly because Starlight Glimmer is just a boring character when you disregard the problems with her redemption arc.

The Gift of the Maud Pie (1 viewing)

While not as good as the original Maud Pie, I actually thought this episode was funnier than that one. Rarity and Pinkie Pie do a great job sharing an episode on their own, and having Maud just makes it better. The story and message are good, too, even if the original Maud Pie was much better in those aspects.

On Your Marks (1 viewing)

When I first saw this episode, I thought it was very problematic but at least funny. Now, I only remember one thing that made me laugh. The problem is that too much is crammed into one episode. There’re essentially 2-3 plots going on, none of which are fleshed out very well.

Gauntlet of Fire (1 viewing)

Is this the best Spike episode to date? Yeah, probably. Besides having a really good character in Ember and characterizing Spike well, this episode had a really good moral and a lot of interesting and well done themes about gender roles, but that’s a topic for the full review.

No Second Prances (2 viewings)

This episode is a tangled mess of bad messages, awful characters, an unnecessarily dark moment, and a bad story. Starlight Glimmer gets one small addition to her character that's insignificant to the plot, and nothing else. Instead, she’s paired with Trixie, who she has no chemistry with, despite being “friends”. Twilight is the worst of the bunch, being angry at Trixie for being egotistical but forgiving of Starlight for basically enslaving ponies and almost wrecking the future for petty reasons. A little bit of good humor cannot save an episode this bad.

Newbie Dash (2 viewings)

This is a good episode in concept. I somewhat like the story, and I think the situation makes sense. However, the execution of the episode ranges from slightly above average to way below average. Rainbow Dash's decisions frequently switched between believable and idiotic, and the moral is problematic when applied to a more traditional situation.

A Hearth’s Warming Tail (2 viewings)

I actually liked this episode the first time I saw it, so I can’t say I don’t know why most people love this episode. However, the more I thought about it, the more problems I had with it, and rewatching it only cemented these issues. The episode is pointless filler that adds nothing to any of the characters (I’m looking at you, Starlight), has a story that’s just a watered-down version of A Christmas Carol, and comes with a large plot hole, too. Hindsight has not been kind to this one.

The Fault in Our Cutie Marks (1 viewing)

I actually like what this episode did with Gabbie. She’s basically perfect when it comes to talents, and that ends up becoming part of the episode’s conflict. She still isn’t perfect as a character though, and I appreciate that. She’s also impossible to hate because SHE’S JUST SO DARN CUTE AND ENERGIZED!

The Saddle Row Review (2 viewings)

This episode is particularly funny, and I really like the framing device they used for this episode. I also think the story and message were pretty good. An overall great episode.

Applejack’s “Day” Off (1 viewing)

Honestly, I have no idea if the first half of this episode is filler or the second half. Either way, half of it didn’t need to exist. This is also another episode where Applejack acts stupid for no reason. She’s usually quite practical, so I don’t buy her having this issue.

Flutter Brutter (1 viewing)

Let’s get this out of the way: I hate Zephyr Breeze. He’s obnoxious and I don’t buy his arc because it’s rushed to a conclusion by a song. However, this episode makes up for that by having Fluttershy be at her best. It’s also quite funny.

Spice Up Your Life (2 viewings)

In a way, I both love and hate this episode simultaneously. It has Pinkie and Rarity together again, has some great messages about criticism, has a great atmosphere, and I love most of the characters. On the other hand, Zesty is an uninteresting straw critic, Rarity seemingly forgets what she learned in Canterlot Boutique (and the fact that she hated the food) to contribute to a choice that was made to obviously be the decision. The story could've been more layered, but the debate was too simple. And while some of the messages are great, there're underlying themes that definitely aren't.

Stranger Than Fan Fiction (2 viewings)

This episode has a very relatable concept. We’ve all had one of those arguments with someone on the internet before. We’ve all dealt with a Quibble Pants. We know how it feels. However, the episode went beyond that and made him an actual character that grew. The dialogue was also really funny, and the episode still had great animation and environments for a Daring Do episode.

The Cart Before the Ponies (1 viewing)

I actually forgot this episode had a song, which might be a sign about the episode as a whole. It’s forgettable, the conflict’s forced, and it’s not funny. I could’ve skipped this episode and missed nothing.

28 Pranks Later (2 viewings)

Something notable about this episode is that its soundtrack won a Leo award. Sure, I don’t put much stock into awards, but it’s still pretty cool, especially since I think it earned it. This episode was just really good music-wise and visual-wise. And story and character-wise, now that I think about it. Sure, it’s similar to The Mysterious Mare Do Well, but it does things differently enough to work, and I think it did it better.

The Times They Are A Changeling (1 viewing)

The best part about this episode is Spike and Thorax’s friendship. The rest of the episode is fine, though occasionally hard to watch, but their friendship gives this one a boost. It’s not as much about racism as you think, though, and I’ll get into that in the full review that’ll come out in 10 years.

Dungeons & Discords (1 viewing)

This is just a solid, fun episode. It isn’t as amazing or funny as everyone else says, and Make New Friends but Keep Discord is still the best Discord episode, but I liked it. Also, Spike is on a roll this season, isn’t he? Three good episodes, that’s unheard of for him!

Buckball Season (1 viewing)

Apparently I wasn’t the only one who though Buckball looked like a genuinely fun sport, because I think I heard some cons have a variation of it now. Anyway, this is just an all around great episode. I like the moral, I like how the characters act, I like the story, and it’s fun to watch.

Viva Las Pegasus (1 viewing)

Let's be honest: we all knew there was something up with Gladmane. Anyway, I like this episode mainly because of the message of being willing to help others even if they've wronged you in some way. Sure, there're limits to that (for example, Starlight crossed many lines and did not deserve any help), but I still think it's important. Otherwise, the episode's solid with good characterization.

Every Little Thing She Does (2 viewings)

Am I dreaming, or is this a Starlight Glimmer episode I actually like? Actually, it’s not just good, it’s great! The storyline fleshes out the one character aspect shown in No Second Prances, and Starlight actually gets treated properly for her actions, with the Mane 6 being very unforgiving at first. It’s also really fun to watch the chaos unfold, and it kind of reminds me of Lesson Zero. It’s not without flaws, but it’s a lot better than I would’ve expected.

P.P.O.V. (Pony Point of View) (2 viewings)

For the record, I don't know if the science of this episode checks out. I wouldn't think perspectives could be that different from each other, but science tends to be surprising. Either way, it still bothers me because Rarity, Applejack, and especially Pinkie Pie are aware that this isn't how the others normally act, so why did their minds perceive them that way? It kind of feels like they actually hate, or at least look down on each other. Also, the Cucumber Sandwich Ex Machina was stupid.

Where the Apple Lies (1 viewing)

This episode is okay. I like the idea of it, but in execution, it isn’t too memorable. I also took issue with how Applejack’s lie wasn’t uncovered at points it should’ve and some other implausible things.

Top Bolt (1 viewing)

Twilight and Rainbow Dash were fun in the last episode they had together, and it's the same here. Besides being funny, this episode had an interesting story around Sky Stinger and Vapor Trail, who were also great characters on their own.

To Where and Back Again - Part 1 (2 viewings)
To Where and Back Again - Part 2 (2 viewings)

Honestly, this is my favorite two-parter of the series (note that I haven’t seen Shadow Play yet). Sure, it has a few flaws, and a somewhat slow beginning, but once Luna shows up in Starlight’s dream, things pick up. Speaking of Starlight, this is the most development she’s ever gotten, and I couldn’t be happier. I also love the environment, the tone, all of the characters’ interactions, and the direction the story went. I especially love Starlight and Trixie’s friendship. They genuinely care about each other this time, without sacrificing either of their characters (even if Starlight didn’t have much of one). Also, Queen Chrysalis is best villain. May she never be redeemed.

Season 6

First off, let's talk about my biggest problem with Season 6: Starlight Glimmer. She wasn't as bad as I thought she would be, but until Every Little Thing She Does, she had almost nothing going for her. She was a waste of space at best, and a hinderance on the show's quality at worst. Everything else about the season is pretty much standard quality for the show. It's still funny, has good stories, has mostly good messages, and mostly great characters. The second half of the season was significantly better than the first, and most episodes were good, though a few weren't. Overall, this is a little bit better than Season 1, mainly due to the good episodes being better. However, it's definitely not as good as Season 5. Either way, Season 6 was a flawed but still great season. Next month is Season 7, and I still haven't seen 7/8 episodes, so I should hurry up.