S2E1-2 The Return of Harmony pt. 1 and 2

Here's another episode that ended up being the first appearance of an important recurring character. It's interesting that, according to the Wiki, this episode was planned in Season 1. And in an alternate universe where the series ended after 65 episodes, Discord would just have been some villain that the heroes defeated and later reformed.

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S1E25 Party of One

I have a feeling this episode would have been largely forgotten were it not for a particular fanfic that built off of it.

Pinkie Pie wisely decides to give up on the idea of singing telegrams.

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S1E23 The Cutie Mark Chronicles

Fans really seized on the idea of the Cutie Mark Crusaders and tree sap.

I have to think that, by a certain point, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were deliberately not naming Rainbow Dash to mess with Scootaloo.

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S1E21 Over a Barrel

When I was young, you could still find old black-and-white shows like The Lone Ranger and westerns on TV. Plus, all the classic Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry cartoons still played. So I saw "cowboys and Indians" plots all the time growing up.

But it's a rather risky idea for writers in 2010 to recycle the trope.

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S1E19 A Dog and Pony Show

I remember not caring for this episode, and watching it again confirms the sentiment.

This is the episode that introduces Sapphire Shores, and I'm struck by how forgettable the character is. Had you asked me earlier which episode the character first appeared in, I probably would have gotten it wrong. I didn't remember the character's voice, nor her lines. Thus, this side character had less impact than Hoity Toity or Photo Finish (next episode!).

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S1E17 Stare Master

By this point, I'm feeling the show's writers are getting the characters and are building a consistent world. We have Rarity busy with her fashion work, Twilight Sparkle going to see Zecora, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders together, ready to do the crusading they promised in their first meeting.

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S1E15 Feeling Pinkie Keen

Here's another Pinkie Pie-focused episode, one that helped define the character of Pinkie Pie. It increased the number of ways in which Pinkie Pie is portrayed as the zany character, making any weird thing, including breaking the fourth wall, seem just fine. The fandom really developed the idea of Pinkie Sense, but did it ever come up again in the series?

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S1E13 Fall Weather Friends

It's another annual event that's only mentioned once!

One good thing about this series is that there are enough interactions among the ponies to justify most every ship. And this is the episode that launched AppleDash, the ship that wins out in the end. I do like the interaction and competition between Rainbow Dash and Applejack, even though I'm firmly of the belief that earth ponies have an insurmountable magical advantage in athletic competitions.

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S1E11 Winter Wrap Up

It took until Episode 11 to get one that I'm not going to have any big complaints about. The Mane Six finally feel like they're in character.

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S1E9 Bridle Gossip

It's the first appearance of Zecora, who I expect was intended to be a recurring character. She provides a skill set the main characters don't have, and an outsider's perspective, so she serves an important role in the series. But a zebra with stereotypical attire (Mohawk and gold rings around the neck) seems like a rather, well, problematic design in 2010. (But not as much as an episode later this season.)

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