Redo review: Season 4

Let's continue looking back to the entire show. Remember, this review will assume you've already seen the show, so spoilers ahead. Shall we?

Princess Twilight Sparkle

When it comes to a big story arc with an even bigger finish, you normally wouldn't expect something big to kick things off, would you? Admittedly, Princess Twilight Sparkle doesn't have the same scope as the previous ones, but it still plays an important role in the Friendship is Magic lore. It gives off a bit of expanding to Celestia's battle against Nightmare Moon a millennium previous. When she uses the Elements against her sister, you can see the tears in Celestia's eyes. She knows she's banishing her sister to the moon, but what other choice did she have? And Discord "accidentally" planting the seeds onto the ground couldn't grow around the Tree of Harmony, so it took even longer for them to finally cause havoc. The way both flashbacks were tied into the main story was very clever and showed there is a sense of continuity in the series. My main issue is that, for the story itself, it starts off fairly normal, even for a premiere and honestly, there's not much else to talk about story wise, but the funny moments do conceal the slow pacing very well. 3.5/5.

Castle Mane-ia

I called it a little out of hand when the characters acted just like weirdos in their cowardliness... a lot like Fluttershy in that manner, plus none of the groups had enough screen time to develop correctly. When I think of how humorous it is though, I can say it's better than I originally called it. I wish The Castle of the Two Sisters would have some more episodes that focus on it, but Castle Mane-ia is a good episode that revolves around the castle though there still are things that could have been done better in order to give it a higher ranking on my list. 3/5.

Daring Don’t

It’s surprising how the episode is action-packed, the plot turned out to be with its moral, imagery and writing. Starting out with its plot, it was totally groundbreaking and for the epic action via Daring Do's scenes against some of her greatest foes regardless of underdeveloped personalities it was just pure excitement and I have to give it even more credit for the final moments RD and her working as a team to stop Daring's villains and save Equestria once more. It's moral was delivered accurately and does give you that change of heart when you learn about it via this episode's narrative (go figure). 4/5.

Flight to the Finish

Diamond Tiara is my only pet peeve within' this episode, but her annoying character trait of getting on my nerves considerably wasn't even strong enough to bog down this episode's greatness to absolute atrociousness, and was rather extremely mild. Mrs. Harshwinny had no real purpose in this episode, but Rainbow Dash's performance was amazing in all honesty. Along with the special moments the CMC's song and they're ideal climatic routine provided, the message's moral about representing what truly makes you special, even if you can't do something like fly was another one of which has been delivered expertly, and really can teach somepony that they're special in any particular way no matter what. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo have made outstanding episodes before, with a few exceptions in later episodes, but Flight to the Finish remains a Season 4 classic worth putting in my favorites. 4.5/5.

Power Ponies

Not every combination can be successful, sometimes it has to be as out-of-place as this one. While I do find flawed for its cliché but somewhat motivated villain and its plot just a bit predictable at some points, it’s entertaining to say the least. The story focuses too much on fanservice and references to other superheroes from other franchises and universes like Marvel's X-Men and Avengers, and some DC heroes, the writing is too cheesy for moments thanks to the Mane-iac's part. The message of realizing that just because some friends don't always need your help, it doesn't mean that they don't think you're helpful, and that you don't have to have superpowers to be a super friend was another good way of being delivered, though some episodes and other episodes have done it better. 2.5/5.

Bats!

It might not be Fluttershy’s best episode for me thanks for its plot and main gimmick, but the spot on pacing, clever script, dark and gritty acts from all of the main characters, and fantastic moral of learning to not pressuring your friends into doing the wrong choices and telling even your closest friends to do the same, which was also delivered excellently through its pacing. Flutterbat might have been a bit too predictable and gimmicky, but when we see a glimpse of her fang before going for a juicy apple, the fun begins. Although the song is not that memorable, the ending has been done better as well and with every good aspect of this episode put together, Bats! is definitely an episode that has aged well over time. 4/5.

Rarity Takes Manhattan

I have mixed feelings towards this episode. Back in my review of this episode, I criticized it for Rarity's overreaction on pushing her friends into doing more than what they can do when she was in a major rush to win the competition of the fashion week event, but for showing probably the most amount generosity in any of her episodes, I feel the episode's better than I once considered it to be for how Rarity strongly showed off her true self. Rarity also does know how to stand up for herself and learn from her mistakes like most characters in this series already have. However, the desperately slow pacing, the forgettable song, Suri’s wasted potential thanks to her blandness and lack of screen time and Coco Pommel being just there don’t allow me to enjoy this episode as much as I want. So, looking a lot closer at Rarity's element that she strongly shows off here is why I now give this episode a better rating, but its flaws prevent me from giving it a higher score. 3/5.

Pinkie Apple Pie

The plot is all the more wonderful for its storyline as I said and its pacing of the Apples and Pinkie traveling to see if they are truly fourth cousins twice removed, as excellent as it is two of my favorite things around the 2/3 of its story would be both the bouncy song of Apples to the Core and the humor of the scene of them traveling on the river, especially while traveling through "The Scariest Cave in Equestria". As with all episodes the animation and voice are, well, you already know how well done they are, so now the moral. Both of the messages where both good friends can sometimes feel like your family and that being a good family doesn't rely on being perfect and rather on both being able to get through rough patches together and forgiving each for their mistakes. It’s another chapter I could watch from beginning to end while looking past any imperfect aspects it has. 4/5.

Rainbow Falls

Now Rainbow Falls has been strongly hated for how disloyal Rainbow Dash was towards her friends (until the very end), and for how Spitfire has abandoned Soarin in order to have a better flyer like Rainbow Dash by her side. I'd consider this to be a flaw as well, but because it's not strong enough to make this an episode that I immensely hate, I'd say it's not necessarily one of the show's worst episodes per se. I'm going to have to say though that it's an episode I really just don't care much about. I'll give it the positive of a decent message and a good enough ending for how Rainbow Dash earned her Chest of Harmony key for teaching the Wonderbolts something about friendship, but on the other hand, I'm just going skip it if I was binge watching all of Season 4's episodes all over again. 2.5/5.

Three’s a Crowd

One of the most underrated episodes of the series in my opinion, Crowd also has to be the other episode where Discord was at his funniest. We got moments like him spreading his flu to Rarity and Applejack before interrupting Twilight and Cadance and their quality time of their weekend together, his Aladdin-parody song Glass of Water and even the ending when the Tatzlwurm sneezed all over him before cutting to the scene of Fluttershy's cottage where Discord is being cared for by Fluttershy and the others during his actual sickness of being green. He may have been just messing with the two princesses, but not without reason for Twilight. The plot where Discord secretly made Twilight test her friendship with him was entertainingly epic and may have just a teensy bit harmful for her, but he was at least trying to see he was still friends with one of the most important ponies around (as he'd put it). Half the time I do and half the time I don't understand just what's wrong with a newly reformed anti-villain just testing one of his newest friends, but if there's any other honor this episode deserves when making it entertaining and hilarious, it's that of being countlessly rewatchable. And no pun intended, but I seriously think this is one of those episodes that really deserves, as I said, a better rep. 4.5/5.

Pinkie Pride

Perfected in all of its categories of a cartoon episode, Pinkie Pride is the first MLP episode in my eyes to get EVERYTHING right in terms of an episode's plot, songs, character performances (particularly "Weird Al" himself) and lesson-worthy message of friendship. Cheese Sandwich is strongly amazing, his wonderful personality he brought to the show's second Super Duper Party Pony, after being inspired by Pinkie Pie as a young colt, as well as the obvious talent of his incredible singing voice. As another perfect episode, let alone birthday-themed one, (this time for Rainbow Dash), and an anniversary one combined at that, Pinkie Pride is the very definition of a normal-length My Little Pony episode that's truly smart enough to improve upon other previous episodes. Featuring some of the most entertaining and funniest moments from Friendship Is Magic, as well as the episode's extremely catchy songs, Pinkie Pride is, in my eyes, an Oscar-worthy masterpiece that I highly recommend to every type of audience of all ages. So to wrap this all up, the episode itself is brilliant in every manner, and if you haven't seen it yet, please do so. 5/5.

Simple Ways

Although the first minutes are a little slow, it’s a very funny episode. It was really weird for Rarity to go out of her true character because she was trying to impress her crush Trenderhoof, a character who was forgettable rather than unlikable as most would consider him just for his attitude towards Rarity until the end. The plot was wonderful and Rarity and Applejack's parts before the last few minutes were one the funniest moments in the show. Sometimes Applejack and Rarity's interactions with each other felt really logic while still being humorous with their character traits. While the writing in the end was funny, it was also a little corny and not entirely worth adding to the humor when I think about it clearly. The moral delivered in the plot involving real friends will like you for who you are, and changing yourself to impress them is no way to make new ones was excellently executed if one that most have already learned before this episode... maybe even you too. 4.5/5.

Filli Vanilli

I might still have an itch with Pinkie for her unbelievable attitude towards Fluttershy, but looking past that the extra half star I give it is how catchy the music is and proved Fluttershy to be a greater character when helping Big Mac while his voice was healing. Flutterguy still remains funny and overall, for its memorable songs, great personalities from every character albeit Pinkie Pie, I'll consider it an episode worth watching. 4/5.

Twilight Time

With Twilight being view as an idol among the Ponyville school students and the Cutie Mark Crusaders getting more and more respect from them, I feel this is one of the more thrilling plots seeing how the Crusaders go through their respectful treatment from the other school ponies despite that it was for selfish reasons. The plot as a whole has been done wonderfully for that aspect although sometimes the moments of the CMC’s going through annoyingness from the other ponies felt quite unwatchable at times if you ask me. But even still the pacing of it was done wonderfully as well. The moral of true specialty comes from having your (special) friend and not feeling special for yourself just cause your friend is so popularly special was great too if not the most lesson-worthy moral in the show. With all of the great moments and the message of friendship to learn, Twilight Time is one of the best episodes of Season 4. 4.5/5.

It Ain’t Easy Being Breezies

This is an episode that, like a good wine, has aged better over time and I have a more positive perception towards it. I may still find it to be a tad bit annoying at points like the voiceovers of the breezies, but for how great even the most annoying of some characters can be after being taught a lesson and changing for their own good, it's all been done excellently. 4/5.

Somepony to Watch Over Me

Criticizing it for one the worst traits of Applejack and cliché plot holes, this episode's narrative about being stupid enough as to not give your more mature younger sister a chance be all alone made Applejack really go out character and made her overprotectiveness for her own sister way too stupid. Lacking any humor with Applejac’s stupidity, this basically makes Apple Bloom look like a much more grown-up and smarter character in her personality than her own older sister. Being fair though, the ending was another pretty decent pro to keep it from being a worse. Also Applejack's fight against the chimera looked fun. I will admit this has being a guilty pleasure for me, but its negatives still stand above them, which also includes its pathetically delivered moral and out-of-character acts by Applejack as I said. So if you've seen it before, forget about it and just leave it alone. 2/5.

Maud Pie

Easily one of the best episodes of the season and one of my favorite characters in the entire show. For her wittiness and calm and (most of the time) emotionless tone which is now understandable to me, when I look more and more at those factors of her, it makes her even more likable nowadays (although her over-exposure in later seasons fatigued her a lot). Getting into the episodes other aspects we have the categories of the story, writing, imagery and moral. All of which were done as good as the episode itself was. The plot has been paced pretty with even more great moments like Maud's moment with Rainbow Dash of throwing rocks and especially Maud rescuing her own sister from a giant boulder. With quotes like Maud's poetry about rocks the writing and voice acting in both Maud's and the Mane 6's voices were all wonderful with a humorous feel in some Maud's dialogue (along with some, but hardly any of the others). The message is great with delivering not one, but TWO morals in the episode! Pinkie trying to get her friends and her sister to bond with each other was an amazing additional milestone to both the plot and the show in general. The moral of also sharing the same thing of showing that they all love Pinkie Pie sounded heartwarming and was another great message to add along with the other. 4.5/5.

From Whom the Sweetie Belle Toils

The plot first off is well paced and though it might seem creepy through Sweetie Belle's dream sequences of Rarity laughing at her during her awards ceremony and the terrible vision of what Rarity's future might be like if she doesn't fixed her problem that she later didn't mean to commit, the story itself was just outstanding. It might have had a few questionable plot holes, but at times, I can ignore them, the message that Sweetie Belle figured after learning about part of her past in dreams that Luna reminded her of was pretty suitable for all ages worthy of learning as a part of friendship. Sweetie Belle’s nightmare is the darkest moment of the series by far, which also gives it a few points. So to wrap this all up, For Whom the Sweetie Belle Toils is easily one of the best episodes of Season 4. 4.5/5.

Leap of Faith

Most of the Chest of Harmony Key Episodes were considered to be some of my least favorites of this series, but now that I thought about re-judging more than just a few episodes, I thought I might come up with a few reasons as to why I should call this episode better than it originally was to me. Let me name just a few: a greater backstory from Granny Smith in the plot, another great song by Flim and Flam, excellent moral of honesty (delivered by, go figure, Applejack), great personalities for every character, spot on pacing and the scene of Applejack saving Granny from a death fall when she attempted a foolish daredevil trick. I still think Lyra’s cameo is too distracting from the plot itself, but I'll give it a much better rep now, it remains as one of the weakest episodes involving The Chest of Harmony's Keys though. 3/5.

Testing Testing 1, 2, 3

Between the traits of the characters in this episode I feel the best has to come from every main character while Rainbow Dash acted really childish most of the time. Her scenes of failing to pay attention to the most important facts of The History of the Wonderbolts were the things that ruined part of her personality. Looking past those moments though, my favorite elements have to be how humorous Rainbow Dash's immaturity can be at times and the very ending of how she was learning the history of the Wonderbolts was fantastic enough to be one of my favorite moments of the show and not just the season. To conclude this with the moral, the lesson of a certain way of learning isn't better than the other was something worth learning for me although not the biggest lesson the show itself has taught. 4.5/5.

Trade Ya!

Normally, I try to not use the word “boring” in a review because that’s totally subjective: a work of art (book, TV show, movie, videogame, etc.) bores us because it doesn’t catch our attention. For being too simple, too complex, having an already known plot, being repetitive, because “nothing” happens or too many things happening at the same time, lack of entertainment or for reeks of blandness in most of its plot, etc. However, I have to say it: this is probably the most boring episode of the entire season. I mean seriously, a Trader's Exchange-themed story of going from stand to stand just to get one valuable book from a brand that you're a die-hard fan of? The character appearances are not balanced either: Both Rarity and Applejack lack screen time and their story feels nonsensical and corny, Twilight and Pinkie Pie's moments of announcements of Twilight's books are annoying and doesn’t go to nowhere and Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, being the ones with the most screen time, have the most predictable and repetitive story for their own good. With the episode's ending message, and the plot strangely makes me feel like going to a Trader's Exchange to exchange my goods for something I want bad, but the story still just has one too many plot holes. 0.

Inspiration Manifestation

It feels like Rarity's version of both Lesson Zero and Party of One, but Inspiration Manifestation has to be one of her best episodes of both Season 4 and the whole series. Though it lacks a bit of humor, I still have to admit it did make me laugh maybe a few times. The script in its writing was done well though some of Rarity's lines of when she was under that spell felt bizarre and not very hilarious most of the time. So while the narrative was wonderful, another thing that this episode borrows too much from Lesson Zero and Party of One. The biggest charm in its animation to me has to be all of the dazzling spells Rarity casts on pretty much all of Ponyville and it was fantastic like most of the show's two-parters. The moral of being honest with your friends when they're doing something that you don't think is right just because you care about them which was another worthy lesson that the show has taught. 4/5.

Equestria Games

It's been called both bad and good by many, but Equestria Games for that matter should honestly be called one of the most underrated episodes of the entire show. And for plenty of good reasons: You may have criticized it for some of its lack of focus on Spike or that even partially made him look like a fool, but if you ask me, the episode feels rather and overrated and at times overshadowed. What I can praise about it is how much Spike went from just his usual self to an even bigger hero in Equestria after the first time he showed off his bravery to save The Crystal Empire before. It might not have given Spike much character development which was just one little minus, but looking past that, his bravery saving the games towards the end makes up for most of it which easily makes it one of my favorite scene in not just the episode, but also of all of Season 4. Another grudge I have with it that I hate to admit though is the anthem Spike sung around the middle of the plot, is arguably one of the worst songs the show has ever made. The message of letting go of the past in order to feel good about yourself was worth it as well. And with all that said, Equestria Games is fantastic installment and should be given a second chance to anypony who doesn't think it's all that good. 4/5.

Twilight’s Kingdom

Why do I have to hate everything you love? Well, let me explain. When everybody thinks of this episode, the first thing that comes to their minds is the epic battle between Twilight and Tirek. But that’s my first issue: when you get down to it, this finale is not that memorable and the battle previously mentioned it’s the only memorable thing in the entire episode. The pacing of the first half is sluggishly slow and most of it is Discord spitting exposition and mugging the camera for 5 minutes and the Mane 6 waiting for the action with Tirek. Speaking of Tirek, he’s a lot of wasted potential because, despite an interesting backstory, he’s reduced to a bland villain who’s evil just for the sake of being evil. Discord comes out scot-free in this episode and it’s easily forgiven (I’m surprised nobody complained about this when it first came out, yet Starlight Glimmer was criticized for doing the same a season later). The rest of the Mane 6 and the princesses don’t have that much to do here and the epic battle, although exciting, feels too out of place when you think about it. It’s like the MCU: it’s feels awesome, but it doesn’t really mean anything in the long run and it could’ve easily ended halfway through. And I haven’t mentioned other things such as the forgettable song (I mean You’ll Play Your Part, I don’t have any problems with Let the Rainbow Remind You), the horrendously notorious product placement and the MacGuffin that are the keys. To be fair, it’s not a bad episode and I do enjoy it from time to time, but I feel it’s one of the most overrated episodes of the entire series. 3/5.

Overall season ranking: 3.6/5.