The Epic MLP Season 3 post · 3:38pm May 14th, 2013
So last year, I made a big post over on my LJ detailing all the episodes from season 2, and what I thought was good and bad about each, plus rankings and other thoughts. Well, it's high time I did this with season 3, and I figure there's no better time to do so than right now, as I, like much the fandom, am reeling from the EQG trailer. (Also, if it seems slightly late to be doing this, I did last year's in July, for comparison.) I have honestly been needing to watch poni again, because I'm actually having trouble remembering what the ponies look like, sound like, how they move, etc., which makes reading tough. So yeah.
To recap, the "Good, Bad and Ugly" system works like this. Good (+) is the good stuff: what makes the episode good, what makes it worth watching, what's funny and memorable. Bad (-) is the bad stuff: goofs, gaffs, cringeworthy moments, why the episode is not good or not worth watching. Ugly (~) is supposed to a "read between the lines" section for sussing out the unintended meanings of episodes, but I think there's not as much of that in season 3 as there was in season 2. We'll see. Mostly, I'll probably be using that section as a wrap-up, to discuss my feelings on the episode at hand. I'll also be doing a little writeup on each song, along with marking it good or bad. Again, you can check out the last post to see how that all works.
Oh, and this time I'll be going chronologically and have the rankings at the end. :B TO THE QUEUEUEUEUEUE!
The Crystal Empire
+ Cool new backstory expanding Equestria.
+ After an evil alicorn, a Spirit of Chaos, and the leader of a tribe of emotion-draining monsters, we get a villain who is just a unicorn. A rather peculiar looking unicorn, yes, but that he's not any sort of unusual creature speaks volumes to just how powerful he must have been.
+ Celestia being fucking awesome with dark magic and having unwavering faith in Twilight and shit.
+ Spike gets to sing (see below).
+ Sombra is really goddamn scary.
+ Rarity is sort of completely amazing through this whole episode.
+ Pinkie Spy. Pinkie in a Fluttershy costume. Pinkie in a jester costume.
+ The Ballad of the Crystal Empire: A catchy tune, the best in an episode with two (technically three) songs. Introduced fun things like the flugelhorn and Fluttershy with the ewes. (Of course, did no one ever notice that there was no Crystal Kingdom Anthem? Like, ever?)
+ Twilight using dark magic, holy crap. Also gravity magic.
+ Cadence's finest moment: WIFE TOSS!
+ He may not have been the greatest threat, but Sombra just fuckin' dies at the end. That's harsh, bro!
+ Great teaser at the end with Luna's book.
- The Failure/Success Song: For the former, it was a really bad thing to have a song about. Twilight is essentially just moping about something she doesn't even fully understand yet. Plus, the musical break in the middle for the math joke kind of kills the whole thing. Yes, Spike gets to sing, but that doesn't make up for it. The problem with the reprise is the content: after being lectured on how it's more important to understand self-sacrifice, all of Twilight's friends start singing about how great she is, setting up a season-long arc of "Twilight is best pony, and no one else".
- Sunshine, fucking sunshine.
- Slow pacing due to lengthy intel gathering, exposition, and fair scenes. Could have been one episode. Maybe an episode and a half.
- For all his neat backstory and creepy presence, Sombra turns out to have no personality whatsoever, being somewhat of an empty threat. Yes, all the jokes about him not being able to talk are funny, but they point to the fact that there's really nothing to the guy.
- Twilight's got some major Idiot Ball going on about the whole "test" thing. Also Twilight putting her success before the Empire.
- Pony jousting is great and Fluttershy is adorable in her armor, but watching her get beaten by Rainbow Dash is just... It would have been far funnier a scene had the opposite occurred.
- Once again, Cadence saves the day. Once again, the villain just stands there and fucking takes it.
~ So yeah. The big problem with this, other than dragging and having a terrible villain, is that by the end, Twilight's gotten a big head. If they were trying to show her confidence building, this was not the way to do it. Given how the season turns out, this was our first indicator that not everything was going to be great in MLPland.
Too Many Pinkie Pies
+ Animals being turned into fruit!
+ Pinkie being neurotic about fun.
+ Pinkie knowing about old lore. The Mirror Pool turns out to be a fun macguffin with lots of fanonly applications.
+ Pinkie at some of her Pinkiest. No, you cannot have too many Pinkie Pies.
+ The Pinkies' nicknames for the mane cast.
+ The Pinkie shenanigans during the paint drying scene. Most especially the G3 reference.
- Pinkie's friends have severe Idiot Ball in trying to figure out which one is the real one. Obviously it's the one who cares more about her friends than having fun. (The one who can string more than one sentence together.)
- Watching paint dry as the test is pretty ingenious, but the scene is, well, unsurprisingly tedious.
- Those inflated Pinkies are horrifying.
~ So the first time Pinkie crawls through the pool, we see her breaking the surface. It then becomes apparent that that Pinkie is the clone, since she's going "Fun! Fun!" ...Whaaaat? The implications are mind-bending.
~ The problem is solved by a method that could have potentially killed Pinkie Pie. Why was this necessary? "I can't risk sending the real Pinkie back into the pond!" Twilight says, and then does it anyway.
~ It's not the most amazing episode ever, but there's a lot of great comedy that plays to Dave Polsky's strengths. The ending is a tad uncomfortable because Twilight was playing with fire, but otherwise, it's highly enjoyable.
One Bad Apple
+ Sweetie Belle almost doing magic.
+ Babs is completely adorable, what with her blank flank tail covering + blow mane out of face routine. Also her doofy accent.
+ Babs Seed: One of the best songs from the show ever, a pop tour de force that really blew me out of the water the first time I-- Actually, no, I hated it the first time I heard it. But that happens. Nowadays, I love it. As for the sequence, it's a mixed bag: the dull repetition of the chorus scenes are balanced out by Sweetie being super incredibly adorable with a milkshake oh my god.
+ Sweetie Belle's house!
+ Sweetie Belle covered in luster dust, and Rarity's emergency edible boots.
+ "Why does life have to be so ironic?"
+ Scootadrums.
+ Expansion of the CMCs into Manehattan.
- Apple Bloom is capable of supreme evil. Also Sweetie Belle. Devious.
- Veggie salad. It will never make sense.
~ No indication, despite Babs being an Apple from Manehattan, as to whether she's actually related to Aunt and Uncle Orange. SERIOUSLY, THIS IS IMPORTANT
~ A My Little Pony episode about bullying that actually works? Okay, it's not perfect. There's something to be said for the "tell an adult" lesson, as well as the "anyone can become a bully" lesson, but that in particular is a tad overshadowed by "every bully is bullied themselves" which isn't always the case. Plus, where's the sympathy for Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon? It's still a great episode though, as far as tackling a subject and coming out on top.
Magic Duel
+ The Alicorn Amulet is severely awesome. (Also the first canon usage of the word "alicorn".)
+ Fluttershy being scared for her animal friends.
+ Saddle Arabia. Those delegates look awesome.
+ AW YEAH IT'S THE MUTHAFUCKIN TRIXIE
+ Snips and Snails!
+ Validation of every Trixie fanfic ever.
+ Trixie working on Pinkie's family's rock farm.
+ Zecora yessss. Also, Zecora knowing magic, kind of. The stuff she has Twilight do is pretty awesome, and she makes a good Yoda.
+ Fluttershy being amazing. And dressing in a bunny-spy outfit.
+ Trixie not trusting wheels. You know that was designed to be a catchphrase.
+ Even though none of it was real: filly Applejack and Rarity, old Applejack, male Applejack, double Rainbow Dash.
+ As someone pointed out, when Trixie first showed up, she was using tricks and Twilight defeated her with magic. Now, Trixie comes in performing magic and Twilight defeats her with tricks.
+ Facefault.
+ Oh, and the ending is the best ever, especially since Pinkie doesn't actually get to say anything.
- The dark backalley and its greedy curiosity shop owner belong more in the gritty Ponyville from Mysterious Mare-Do-Well. Though nothing says that's actually Ponyville.
- Why is juggling animals considered entertainment fit for foreign ambassadors? Or even all that interesting? Rarity does that kind of shit every day.
- Most of Trixie's 'alterations' are pretty amusing, but the horn fusion and the removal of Pinkie's mouth are pretty horrifying. And yeah, the mouse pointer is kind of anachronistic.
- Of course, holy shit, Twilight can conjure Parasprites. D: Not to mention undo them.
- "Highest-level unicorns."
- So I guess ponies can't swim, since there's sort of a river cutting under the edge of that fishbowl...
- Goddammit, Big Macintosh, you had one job, "Make them believe you're really Applejack." So what do you say? YOUR CATCHPHRASE
~ Yeah, so... This is a huge pile of brony pandering. But you know what? I'm happy to be pandered to. Especially if it's kept to once per season (see also: Last Roundup). This was more or less everything I wanted in a Trixie episode.
~ Trixie's apology at the end has ruffled some feathers. All I know is, she apologizes, but she doesn't really mean it, or at least she doesn't really understand the force behind it. She's still Trixie. She's less turning over a new leaf than galloping off to keep being her wonderful, irritating self.[/lj-cut]
Sleepless in Ponyville
+ Finally, the Scootaloo episode we have long awaited!
+ Pretty much every scene Rarity is in is amazing. Just seriously add like 7 or 8 pluses for her alone.
+ Shoutout to Sonic Rainboom.
+ The Olden Pony. Seriously, a lot of people didn't think she was scary, and she's not really, but that story is the kind of half-sensical garbage that campfire tales are made of.
+ Suddenly Luna.
+ Scootaloo's sleep-scooting scene is classic.
+ "It's colder than a timberwolf's toenail."
+ Rainbows every day.
+ The Headless Horse returns!
+ Rainbow Dash whinnies in her sleep.
+ Scootalove is canon. Orphan Scootaloo is still up for debate.
+ "Thank you! And have a nice day!" Seriously, that was brilliant.
- Jesus, dem EYES @_@
- THAT IS NOT A SONG it's not terrible, but Sweetie's supposed to be able to sing!
- Luna talks so freaking weird in this episode. And not because she's not using 'thou'.
~ You can't ask for a more wholesome, well-crafted episode than this.
Wonderbolt Academy
+ Awesome Wonderbolt recruit uniforms.
+ Thunderlane, not-Wild Fire, Cloud Kicker, and of course Snowflake.
+ Snowflake eating clouds.
- Spitfire's new voice, attitude, and let's not forget cutie mark. :/ Plus the fact that, once again, everyone forgets who Rainbow Dash is and what she's done.
- Creepy wing actions everywhere.
- Lightning Dust needed some character. Like, backstory or something.
- The scenes with the mane cast in Ponyville really detract from the focus of the episode. The second one really does nothing that couldn't have been explained at the end.
- How do you save unicorns and earth ponies with a cloud?
~ I really have no idea what this episode is about. Part and parcel for Merriweather Williams. Seriously, what is the message? I think [a href="http://www.fimfiction.net/blog/100503/]Cupcakes summed it up way better than I could. Rainbow Dash's character is clipped, and the message is muddled over and over again. This seriously just makes no sense in the least, and at worst is completely infuriating. (So much potential, wasted!)
Apple Family Reunion
+ Tons of new place names.
+ Granny is hardly rusty in the giddyup. c.c Whew! (And more real young Granny Smith! :3)
+ Auntie Applesauce is kind of terrifying, but she is amazing.
+ BABBY APPLEJACK @_@
+ Apple Rose! She was cute as a youngin' and she's a real stinker as an old'un. :D
+ Applejack's parents are DEEEAAAAAD!
+ Braeburn shows up and he never talks once.
+ The Apples are related to Hayseed Turniptruck. I'm actually not sure if that's a good thing, but I like continuity. Also, continuity with Babs.
+ Diesel-powered sewing machines.
+ Oh god, I just noticed the Wilhelm scream.
+ Fruit bats!
+ Raise This Barn: I can't say much for the lyrics, but holy crap, Applejack finally got a song! And it totally fits, and it's totally amazing. Best song this season outside the finale, hands down. Also the sequence introduces Fiddlesticks! (And I really like the "get down if you're scared of heights" part.)
+ DEEEAAAAAD!
- Apples from Manehattan; NOT THE ORANGES.
- Hello, reused Rainbow Dash footage from season 1.
- Worst tongue-twister ever.
- Git 'r dun. :|
~ There are few types of episodes I like more than the family-oriented ones. And this one, like Family Appreciation Day, also comes with a goodly amount of worldbuilding. Applejack's well-intentioned enthusiasm is highly entertaining, and the interactions of the side characters ring true to anyone who's ever been to a family reunion of their own. Plus, a great song!
Spike at Your Service
+ Spike's to-do list really sums up why his character is so charming. He's just a little boy, after all.
+ Holy crap, I just realized that hot air balloon, with Cherry Berry as the pilot, is the same one Fluttershy plans to board in the finale. @_@
+ I don't care what anyone says, the CGI timberwolves are friggin' sweet. As is knowing that they can come apart and float back together. And form into a giant timberwolf king.
+ "You even look good when you're chewing."
+ Rainbow Dash is writing a self-insert fanfic about the Wonderbolts. EVERYTHING IS CANON
+ Pinkie's plan and also mustache.
+ Rainbow Dash is really awesome at being a timberwolf.
+ Timberwolf king choking on a rock is amazingly hilarious. (Thank you, Polsky.)
- Spike is somehow terrible at everything despite having been Twilight's number one assistant for how long?
- Yeah, there's something to be said against even cheesy damsels in distress.
~ The Dragon Code is a plot device wholly contrived to make this episode happen, that will doubtless never be mentioned again. Also, as far as I can tell, Spike made it up himself, so he brought all that pain onto himself. Not to mention that he created it knowing that it could potentially take him away from Twilight, something that the opener of this season specifically said was his greatest fear. Why would he do that? Furthermore, Twilight knows about it; why would she let him do that? This is yet another Williams episode (penned with the dubious Dave Polsky, no less) that just makes no sense at all. Worse, it's not even bad, per se, at least not in the sense of infuriating (unless you're infuriated at there being yet another sub-par episode); it just may as well have never happened, for all that the plot spawns from nothing and nothing changes by the end of the episode. Not to mention there's very little in it worth seeing; everything that is, has a timberwolf in it.
Keep Calm and Flutter On
+ Possibly the best reference in an episode title.
+ Princess Celestia being in a "normal" sort of episode is always nice.
+ Fluttershy has the worst names for her animals, and it's adorable.
+ Cave squirrel; saber-toothed bunny.
+ Oh yeah, Discord can hear while stoned. More fanon validated.
+ Awesome/hilarious Discord things: Discord vs. Angel. Discord lamp. The red carpet thing. Gravy boat. Rainbow Dash vs. candles. Soup tureen. Ice skating judges. Tiny ice skate booties for Fluttershy.
+ "Are you eating... paper?" "Am I? Huh. How odd of me." [-- This is the funniest exchange ever.
+ "Do you think I'm a silly, gullible fool?" "Well, only in the sense of being silly and gullible." Go, Rarity.
+ "NOT! YOUR! FRIEND!" One of Fluttershy's finer moments, and a followup from Putting Your Hoof Down.
- Why did we need another Discord episode? It's one case of a character returning that I do not appreciate.
- Oh boy, recap of season 2 opener.
- Just kind of throwing the Elements around like it's a bad fanfic. Seriously, they need to be reserved for adventure episodes (although it's great that they still exist, considering the last two adventure eps were solved by Princess Fucking Cadence.)
- Fluttershy being overly aware of the Stare. Which she supposedly can't control.
- Twilight's plan to use mind-control magic on Discord.
- Why is there randomly a "protect Elements from Discord" spell that wasn't used before?
- Yeah, that line at the end that was really hyped up on Twitter beforehand? It wasn't that great.
~ Seriously. Why was this episode necessary? I mean, it's awesome that John DeLancie enjoys his work on MLP, but there was that whole rumor about him being Star Swirl the Bearded that would have been way cooler... That said, there's a lot of great Discord action in this to enjoy (again, that's what Polsky does best), so the episode is entertaining, unlike, say, the two before it. But the place where it breaks is: can you believe that Discord actually cares about having a friend? His reactions hardly come across as sincere, after all.
~ Basically, this episode is just a setup for the finale, so they'll have the Elements again. Boo.
Just for Sidekicks
+ Opening photo montage to let us know what happened to Peewee. Brilliant storytelling (even if I wanted him to still be around :().
+ Okay, the owl's pretty good in the intro.
+ Kind of part one of the next episode, but happening at the same time; again, brilliant storytelling, and something totally new for the show.
+ Pets interacting. Spike vs. Angel. Angel vs. Sweetie Belle.
+ The "...Angel." cut sequences.
+ Seeing more of Tank and his relationship with Rainbow Dash. EMBARRASSING NUZZLE
+ Industrial-sized pet hair dryer.
+ Apollo is back!
+ Pony/Donut Joe cameo.
- Zecora totally fucked him, what the hell? Also, she is totally racist against dragons.
~ The Equestrian gem-finance system is completely indecipherable. The CMCs buy all that crap with the tiniest gem?
~ This episode just further proves that Spike is a pet.
~ The lesson is fairly weak, overshadowed by the rest of the episode just being pretty damn good.
Games Ponies Play
+ Getting to see Just for Sidekicks scenes play out from the other side. Again, really amazing writing planning these two episodes out.
+ Rainbow Dad!
+ "Ahh, so relaxing!"
+ That breathing thing is a great running gag. Also, I started doing that for a few weeks after the episode aired; it helped!
+ The mixup is obvious from the start, but watching it throughout the episode is a riot. Miss Peachbottom is also a riot.
+ Rainbow Squeak. (Thank you, Polsky.)
+ Seriously, Miss Peachbottom is a hoot and a half.
+ "Cinnamon bun?"
- Why are three ponies who have no relation whatsoever to the Empire on the welcoming committee again?
- Augh, Princess Cadence is in this one! D:
- Rarity gets to save the day by styling hair. NOT A RARITY EPISODE
- Why are the main cast cheerleaders now? (Foreshadowing for Equestria Girls.)
- As someone pointed out, how could Miss Peachbottom deal with a train ride if she's that claustrophobic?
- Pinkie is the worst tour guide. (Rainbow Dash, for the record, is best tour guide.)
~ The big problem with this one (other than this not being the kind of episode Dave Polsky can pull off) is the shoehorned-in Rainbow Dash moral, which really doesn't make any sense. It drives focus off the plot and confuses the ending. There's just something missing in this one.
Magical Mystery Cure
+ Fuck yes cold musical opening. Only the second episode, after Party of One, to do so! At last, the musical episode I have always wanted!
+ Morning in Ponyville/Life in Equestria: I really love these. The first is great because you know damn things things are not going to be perfect through the end of the song. (The only weird bit is that dancing on the table thing; what? Not to mention it doesn't line up with the castanets either time.) And of course, as someone else pointed out, the reprise is great because it ends the season with Twilight telling us that everything is going to be "just fine". That's a pretty unsubtle nod to the expected fandom reaction. Good show, guys.
+ Quills and Sofas returns!
+ What My Cutie Mark Is Telling Me: Great song. As far as the big theatrical musical numbers in this show go, this is probably the best. It's a fun way to condense the explanation part of the plot down. Pinkie's part is the best.
+ Fluttershy fails at everything. Spike does Gangnam Style (you know damn well that's what that is). Vinyl Scratch.
+ Flat-maned Pinkie Pie singing with a Southern accent. She cannot be more adorable.
+ Book from the opener reappears!
+ So many shout outs to other episodes! Thank you Spike for keeping continuity.
+ I've Got to Find a Way: BEST SONG. I love Rebecca Shoichet's singing voice, and she really gets to cut loose on this one, making it heartfelt and emotional. The piano line in the background is just beautiful.
+ Cannibal animal revolution. Best bear.
+ "...Or maybe I'm still having it."
+ HOLY SHIT THEY BLEW UP TWILIGHT
+ Celestia is all proud of Twilight and stuff.
+ Celestia's Ballad: Absolutely beautiful. There's a reason Nicole Oliver has charmed the hell out of the fandom with this song. Also, I love it because of, well, the above note.
+ Rainbow Dash's reaction to Twilight getting wings.
+ Pinkie Pie's reaction to Twilight getting wings.
+ Liquid pride is so another readymade catchphrase.
+ Oh yeah, we get Derpy back. :B
- Rainbow Dash's cutie mark doesn't mean weather control. Rarity's isn't for dressmaking.
- A True, True Friend: I really don't like this song. It's like Smile, Smile, Smile with all the goodness taken out of it (the callout to SSS doesn't help matters). It hammers home its point continually, Pinkie gets majorly shafted for her part, and then they have a fucking parade because ugh, why? It did, however, make me realize that all of Twilight's friends, and a lot of other characters in the show, have dactylic names, perfect for a song like this.
- Holy shit that incantation makes no sense at all.
- Celestia's reaction to Twilight getting wings, and the whole all of them bowing to her thing.
- Twilight's reaction to Twilight getting wings. She never fucking cared about being a princess, dammit.
- Oh god, the dresses the princesses are wearing are awful.
- Behold, Princess Twilight Sparkle: WORST SONG EVER. ANY SEASON. EVER. Holy shit, call the last five minutes of this episode Much Ado About Nothing. Ugh, there's nothing like a healthy helping of aggrandizement to severely ruin a character. It's actually worse than the end of the season opener. Like, this song and everything it represents is literally the worst thing ever.
~ Too much has been said about this episode already. Where the season opener should have been one episode, this should have been two. It certainly feels like two. Plus, why was this particular feat worthy of princesshood? Certainly, Twilight's had to help out her friends with magic before; why is this instance of that more important than any of the multiple times she's saved the entirety of Equestria? Just... this episode has a ton of holes in it, whether you care about the outcome or not.
I think I'd put season three between seasons one and two, as far as overall enjoyment goes. It does a lot of cool things, goes places we haven't gone, but sadly shoves a bunch of subpar episodes right next to one another. I can only hope that Polsky and Williams have less saturation in season four, and never team up again. Seriously.
Ranking of episodes:
Magic Duel
Apple Family Reunion
Sleepless in Ponyville
Magical Mystery Cure
One Bad Apple
Just for Sidekicks
Too Many Pinkie Pies
Keep Calm and Flutter On
Games Ponies Play
The Crystal Empire
Wonderbolt Academy
Spike at Your Service
Ranking of songs:
I've Got to Find a Way
Celestia's Ballad
Raise This Barn
Babs Seed
Morning in Ponyville/Life in Equestria
What My Cutie Mark Is Telling Me
The Ballad of the Crystal Empire
A True, True Friend
The Failure/Success Song
Behold, Princess Twilight Sparkle
Now, let's get combinatoric!
Top ten episodes overall:
1) Magic Duel
2) Party of One
3) The Last Roundup
4) Cutie Mark Chronicles
5) A Friend in Deed
6) Hurricane Fluttershy
7) Sisterhooves Social
8) A Dog and Pony Show
9) Apple Family Reunion
10) Sleepless in Ponyville
Season 3 contributes three episodes to the lineup, including my new overall favorite. I think I will change my bottom five just a tad:
5) Spike at Your Service
4) Owl's Well That Ends Well
3) Over a Barrel
2) Lesson Zero
1) The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well
Yeah, SATS wasn't even THAT bad, but I think I like it less than Read It and Weep, the old -5. It's really a testament to how many episodes of this show just aren't actually bad. Lastly, top ten songs:
1) I've Got to Find a Way
2) Art of the Dress
3) The Flim Flam Brothers Song
5) Becoming Popular
6) Celestia's Ballad
7) Raise This Barn
8) The Perfect Stallion
9) Babs Seed
10) Love Is in Bloom
(Oops, I fucked up the list. Oh well!)
There you go! My season 3 wrap-up, finally! Looking forward to season 4 if only because I have been rather missing poni. c.c I need to watch some of the good stuff from seasons 1 and 2 now.
Yeah, agreed on lots of things. Season three was pretty weak in places.
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I think I liked it more while it was airing. I certainly rated Keep Calm higher initially.
And you know that whole "I'm forgetting how the ponies act" thing? I feel like watching season 3 didn't help at all with that. :B
Only Sleepless in Ponyville and Just for Sidekicks managed to avoid being actually bad, for me. The former can count on Rarity stealing most of the scenes, because she and Luna had to overcome the complete lack of consistent characterization. The latter barely struggled over the line at all.
Overall, the biggest killer for me is that the writing crew seem to have forgotten how to write a story that has a worthwhile lesson involved. They were all either hideously vague, not exactly positive to begin with, or simply non-existant—save for Sleepless.
Also, I fucking hate Luna being the dream-walker with a fiery passion.
Even though I didn't really like Spike At Your Service at all, this bit right here makes me laugh so hard.
Interesting take. Can't say I agree with everything (I love Wonderbolts Academy and the "True True Friend" song, for instance), but there are some interesting perspectives here.
Also, it really makes me want to Season 3 again.
The only point of contention I have here is in regards to Spitfire in Wonderbolt Academy. I don't think she was acting out of character at all, given that she is on duty as a drill sergeant during the episode. I would think that R. Lee Ermey is much more approachable when he's not dressing down and berating cadets in boot camp. No, my main concern with Spitfire here is that I'm concerned that she didn't stop Lightning Dust's reckless behavior until Rainbow Dash flat out told her how wrong it was. I've been told that real military trainers will pair up people that rub each other the wrong way in hopes of changing them, but since Spitfire isn't Celestia, that plan naturally backfired, assuming it was part of the plan in the first place. And if Spitfire's actions in that regard are supposed to be in accordance with military practice, then why is it that Rainbow Dash is finished with this flight camp in time to get back to Ponyville for the next episode?
The point of Wonderbolt Academy, in my mind, was to prove that Rainbow Dash was maturing as a pony, capable of responsibility and all that. Considering the fallout from stuff like Mysterious Mare-Do-Well, this may have been an act of damage control. But much like Luna Eclipsed, an episode that I really loved at first purely from a character development perspective starts to reveal its patchiness and clumsiness to me in retrospect. I think I'm starting to get why the first season is put on a pedestal all the time, since I don't remember nearly as many episodes that fall apart like this from that season.
In regards to Trixie's apology at the end of Magic Duel, I interpreted it as Trixie compromising a little in regards to her personality, or to put it in a meta fashion, the writer compromising between fans who want Trixie to take the path of redemption and fans who like her just fine the way she is. This moment has actually gotten me to like it more as time goes on, instead of less.
I just noticed that you put the fact that Braeburn doesn't talk in Apple Family Reunion as a GOOD THING.
I think I'll need to watch Magical Mystery Cure again, because A True True Friend was actually my favorite song in the whole episode. Admittedly, this had more to do with how catchy and melodic it was than how it tied into the plot.
As for the Twilicorn issue, I'm not opposed to it in principle, but I am opposed to it being shoehorned in this clumsily, and I'm not sure it needed to happen this early in the show's run. This should have been two episodes, one dealing with the cutie mark mixup and one dealing with Twilight's ascension or whatever you want to call it.
Also, some other irritating details that you missed are the fact that Twilight is given no choice about whether or not she wants her body fundamentally altered or an occupational shift from librarian/grad student to a rulership position, and that Twilight is shown demonstrating perfect flying skills in the last minutes of the episode. Yeah, Twilight has had these wings for less than a week, and that's making a very generous assumption on chronology, and yet she can use them with no difficulty. Bullshit! I'd make up my own headcanon about Rainbow Dash giving her a crash course prior to the coronation, except that I've seen a clip of season 4 where Twilight has trouble flying again. "Continuity? What's that? Is that the land where the Continuit tribe hails from?"
1078829
Okay, I'm really curious as to why you hate the dreamwalking idea, and as to why Spike at Your Service of all episodes rates among the top two. That was easily my least favorite episode of the season because, as Present Perfect pointed out, Spike has proven himself a capable and worthwhile assistant for Twilight Sparkle. SO WHY IN THE HELL IS DOES HE BECOME A BUMBLING IDIOT WHEN HE ASSISTS APPLEJACK? This break in character was so jarring and disgusting that it ruined the entire episode for me.
Also, in regards to difference in how this season is handling its morals, I'm honestly really surprised that people seem to regard the lack of letters to Celestia as a downgrade. All throughout the first season I merely tolerated the letters as a concession to the main demographic and the need to be educational, which made me impressed that they actually served as a plot point in Return of Harmony and Lesson Zero. The near-complete lack of those letters in this season, by contrast, makes me feel weird. This is a more subtle (you may call it vague and confused, but honestly I can't entirely agree with you here) way of delivering morals, and it's the way I'd have wanted the show to do it from the very beginning (assuming I wasn't allowed to make the show a more serial epic adventure series like the comic books or Avatar: The Last Airbender). But by only introducing this now, after two seasons full of letters, the creative team removed a familiar aspect of the show, even if it wasn't that great an aspect, like a rug from under the fandom's feet, and the fact that the writers are only just getting used to it means that they're going to screw up from time to time.
1078929
1. It's just so horribly generic. What little we see of Luna in the show generally scrubs the fan ideas of the day princess/night princess angle. It feels horribly incongruous, even given her lack of development, and the fact that she has been away for a thousand years without causing a problem kind of stuffs the whole thing into a position of 'hey, I can do this thing but you were just fine without it which underpins exactly how much I apparently suck'. I guess it's just another opportunity for some real character development that got batted aside by just adding a gooby power. As a tabletop roleplayer I hate that shit with a passion. Powers do not equal character development—I'm looking at you, Twilight Sue- I mean Sparkle.
2. Because I'm a complete idiot and meant Just for Sidekicks.
3. i don't think the morals were affected by the lack of letters to Celestia, I think they just weren't there to start with, or were so paper thin that they'd make really bad letters.
Sorry, You lose again. Despite agreeing mostly with you, Magic Duel sucked fucking balls. It's not a story about Twi and gang. No lesson is learned, no character growing occurs. It's a bog standard magic mcguffin power-rangers episode that killed the best antagonist in the series for the sake of bullshit pandering. It was not included in season 2. My guess is because it sucked.
I agree about WBA. I liked Pinkie looking in the mail box, but that's because I know the real reason she's so out of sorts. Being away from your SO is hard.
Family reunion was like Over a Barrel: boring as sin.
The timberwolves were 100% fugly terribad. Had they at least made them look like they belonged it wouldn't be so bad. They look like bad fan-character edits.
>Magic Duel as best ep.
I want whatever drugs you're on.
1078946
#3 THIS
S1's weak episodes all lacked a strong moral. It was again Cupcakes that pointed it out. Feeling Pinkie Keen lacks a strong, definite theme, so it's just muddy the whole way through. Look Before you Sleep had one, so it's cohesive. Season 3 lacked any semblance of this. They abandoned their roots and the kind of writing that made the show great. Probably because the person who had the creative vision to make S1 was gone. 1078929 While the letters themselves are not necessary, the thought behind them is. Also, MLP as an adventure show is well below average. As a Slice of Life type show, it's great. Since they can't rely on sexual tension, they were forced to be creative and tell good stories. SHOCK! I use "were" not "are" because I think season 3 was terrible compared to 1 and 2.
Yeah, no.
I can't think of a polite way to say this, Present, so I'll just get it out there. Magic Duel was a festering pile of goat leavings.
The entire plot hangs around a magical MacGuffin, and relies on literally everyone involved except maybe Zecora running a full mile with the idiot ball. Trixie comes back to challenge someone who never did anything to show her up but clean up her mess. Twi takes a challenge that directly violates her orders from Celestia to stay in Ponyville, when she knows Celestia's going to be visiting soon.
The whole arc of the episode is exactly what you call out several times as the problem with the season as a whole. It exists solely to make Twilight look powerful. All the rest of her friends are just accessories to make her look better, or in Pinkie's case simply to be a slapstick joke.
1078976 "Sorry, You lose again. Despite agreeing mostly with you, Magic Duel sucked fucking balls."
I love you. And not in the wholesome way.
1078987
I'm calling the pony police :(
1078839
One of its very few redeeming qualities.
1078929
Actually, I remember this being a big point of contention when the episode came out. I caught Rainbow Dash saying that the camp is only for a week this time around; I guess a lot of people missed that. There's still little about the episode that works.
I never went through season 1 this way, but honestly, aside from Over a Barrel and maybe Feeling Pinkie Keen, most of the episodes stand up on their own merits, and then it's up to the individual viewer as to whether or not they were good.
Have I ever mentioned that I fucking hate Braeburn? He's second-worst pony, next to Princess Cadence.
Yeah. I skipped all of that because I'd already gone over it in my MMC writeup, and my opinion has not really changed. :B
1078946
I am laughing for real right now.
1078976
No it was great you can never defeat meeeeee
Separation anxiety. :V
To paraphrase Nines, KITS YOU ARE SO DUMB
I have no idea what you're talking about. :V
1078984
So wrong. Neither you nor kits nor dark of night can keep me from loving the hell out of my Trixiesode.
I was gonna point out Twilight not noticing the necklace, except that she apparently did and says later that she just didn't recognize it. I honestly don't believe that magic is visible to ponies the way it appears onscreen.
This is new. When was she ordered to stay in Ponyville?
No, it exists to TRIXIE :D
1079037
Season 1, Episode 2.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=z-QdYhVwURA#t=1251s
To be specific.
1078946
Okay, I think I can see where you're coming from in regards to #1. Still not really sure how the ability to journey into the dreams of others is 'generic,' or how it contradicts with everything we'd previously learned about Luna prior to this episode, but now that I think about it, this ability doesn't entirely fit within the context of the episode. I'll have to double-check and see how necessary Luna's presence was to help out Scootaloo.
I'm noticing a pattern of neat ideas and concepts that keep getting brought up (let's just agree to disagree on the matter of this being a neat idea outside of this particular episode) and yet not being utilized to their full potential. One of the things I've noticed about my experience of the show is that I tend to view it primarily as a foundation for fanfiction and art, and so I immediately leap on a good concept with potential, and it takes me a while to notice if the episode that introduced it doesn't come together as a whole.
1079037
Well, now you've got me curious. Why is this? Is it something to do with his actual behavior on the show, or is it primarily a result of his fans grating on you until you want to climb a clock tower with a rifle?
1079050
Yet she's been to Appleloosa, Canterlot...
1079079
Yes, but this was an agreement to be banished from Ponyville. You know, the place she's supposed to, by her mentor and goddess'
statementwritten royal order, be living.No dice, son.
1079074
Yes and also yes. I found him supremely annoying (it doesn't help that he appeared in one of the all-time worst episodes ever), and this whole "everyone is gay for Braeburn" movement just makes it worse, because I don't understand why anyone likes him. :|
1079082
Honestly, I've never taken it as a commandment. I mean, you've certainly got a point, though there are some counterarguments (Twilight had no idea Trixie could be that powerful, she immediately set about trying to get back in), but I would say your argument is along the lines of Twilight freaking out about being tardy with her friendship report in Lesson Zero. It's not that big a deal because there's no way Celestia is that tyrannical.
1079097
There's no way Celestia is that tyrannical. But Twi is, as we've had multiple episodes dedicated to showing, convinced she is. The lavender egghead is smarter than to take a bet like that. The rest of the episode goes further downhill from there.
1079050 There's being specific and there's being pedantic. I don't think anyone thinks that's what she meant. Our Missus C is just tactfully mocking Twilight by writing a formal letter when she's right in front of her.
1079127
This reminds me of the end of Rarity's micro-series comic, where Twilight insists on writing a letter to the princess even though Celestia is fifty feet away when she asks Spike to take it down. I thought it was funny, even though I'm sure it was inconsistent with an episode that I can't remember.
Does anyone disagree with my assessment that the comics are better than the show?
1079512 Never read any, but then I hear they are intended to be slightly more mature, so it doesn't seem a stretch.
As I understand it, she might not suffer from claustrophobia but instead altocelarophobia (fear of high ceilings).
Rewatch "Games Ponies Play" with this in mind, and it might make more sense.
1079564
Yes, they are a little more mature, but the humor of the show is intact and the stories just seem better overall to me. Then again, the main series specializes in the sort of epic adventure that the show has only ever made half-hearted stabs at. I never realized how badly I wanted this out of Friendship is Magic until the comics delivered in spades. If you prefer the sort of story you'd see in most of the show's episodes, that's what the micro-series does, having one issue for each main character. The best of the bunch are the comics written by Katy Cook and drawn by Andy Price, which are the Rarity micro-series issue and issues #1-#4 of the main line, the Return of Chrysalis story.
I highly recommend that you check these out, either by getting them in hard copy or digital download through Comixology. On the latter site, the most recent issue of each series is four bucks and the back issues are two bucks each. I'd say that's a much better value per dollar than that Crystal Heart Spell book.
I cannot properly express how disappointed I am over peewee getting nixed. Peewee was such an adorable little shoutout to woodstock and I was really looking forward to seeing more of him. While the pictures were adorable, it left me super sad over his loss. Even worse is an episode about Spike learning his lesson over Peewee would have probably been far better than the episode that the pictures were inserted into. Even if that had occured, I would have had a full episode with Peewee adorableness and would be far less sad with his exit.
1079658
Yeah, I guess anything can be a fear. :B It would make sense!
1079701
I have been quite pleased with the comics so far. :) Issue 7 is out tomorrow!
1080228
I know, I liked the little guy. :(
1079658 I can think of two solutions to this. First, her meds for the trip wore off. Second despite being at the train station, she just ran there. (I'm not willing to check if we actually saw her get off the train)
As to Discord being off, we only got to see what he did, not what he was actually thinking. All we know for sure is he's willing to play along at least to some extent. This episode did it terribly, but it could be a case of some interesting character growth.
When did Twilight suggest she cared about being a princess? I mean yes she's honored and pleased at the end, but overall being a princess is a sweet gig, so why shouldn't she be. At first she just looks confused, and it isn't until the time skip that changes. Also it's not really a princess, but the princess. Celestia is obviously Twilight's main role model, so being more like her is anything but bad.
1079097
Eh, pretty boys like him can pretty much get away with murder in the eyes of fans. Go look up Doctor Who, Supernatural, and Sherlock on Tumblr and see for yourself.
I think I already know why you find him annoying, which makes me wonder what your position on Pinkie Pie is. I'm guessing you don't loathe her because she's been given actual depth, though she does grate on you from time to time. Remember how shrill she sounded when she was demanding a flugelhorn in the Crystal Empire? Yeesh, that hurt to hear.
1081046
Believe it or not, I really didn't like Pinkie at first. In the pilot, she comes off as your standard "random for random's sake" character, and I think I likened her to being the "ditzy cheerleader". I don't know when that turned around, but Party of One was by far my favorite episode of season 1 (and 2). so I got over it. :B This is not to say that she doesn't make me cringe now and again, usually with her lack of respect for personal space. (Despite this, A Friend in Deed is still one of my favorites.)
1081610
You know, I think I may have liked A Friend in Deed better if she ended up not succeeding in befriending Cranky Doodle Donkey after all. As sad as it is, some people just don't mix, and it's just not possible to get everyone in the world to like you. The show was in a prime position to teach about how to deal with that disappointment, and I would have had a lot of respect for the show if they wanted to go there. But they didn't, and I probably can't blame them for it.
I kind of had the same reaction to Keep Calm and Flutter On, in that I wasn't really seeing the reformation process working. I forget what moral that would have taught, though.
1081673
Yeah, Keep Calm is really shaky in that regard.