Every Episode Ranked and Reviewed (Seasons 1-5)

This blog used to be my top 25 favorite episodes of seasons 1-4. I have since given it a massive update.

Dr. Eggnog: My Little Pony Friendship is Magic Every Episode
Ranked Least Favorite to Favorite

Ponies! Is there any word more thrilling to the human soul? I’m going to rank and review every episode of the series from my least favorite to favorite. I have a scoring system, but due to websites like IGN, numbers don’t hold much merit for a lot of people, so I’ll just separate the list into five simple categories instead: Hate, Dislike, Neutral/Unsure, Like, and Love. That way one could scroll past the early sections if they mainly just want positivity.

A few notes on the episodes I Hate/Dislike before I begin:
- There are 27 of them. That kinda feels like a lot, especially for a show which I feel is one of the best things that’s ever happened to me. I don’t know how many episodes the average brony dislikes (for Fiery Joker it’s about 9 and he considered the show overrated at first) but just know that none of these kept me from falling in love with the show. Even the episodes I dislike overall I generally find something to take away from.
- It’s called least favorites and favorites rather than worst and best for a reason. I’m just explaining what I like and don’t like, not analyzing objective quality or anything like that. When I express what I dislike, I’m not trying to bash the episode. I’ll try not to directly call an episode bad, even the ones that quite likely are. I might call an episode popular or unpopular and you can decide what that means for yourself.
- I’ll try to express what I like even about the episodes at the bottom of the list. I know some people like Digibro and Tommy Oliver get flamed for being negative nancy’s and I wouldn’t want to be perceived the same way. I’m making this blog to celebrate five years of my favorite kids show. Even the episodes I don’t like are part of the celebration and shouldn’t be seen as whining.

Sorry if that seemed unnecessary. I know what it’s like to be hypersensitive to negative opinions and I like it when people are gentle. Do un to others and all that.

Of course these rankings are not final. I imagine some of my opinions will change later on. One episode went up about 30 places while I was making this list!

Hate (111-109)
Even with my very favorite shows of all time, it’s natural to have a few episodes that I hate. Actually, I’d say it’s more likely with my very favorite shows than with shows I like but don’t love, as my emotions tend to be more extreme. One of the things I love about Pony is that it’s a really varied show. A show that’s varied is more likely to do some things that I absolutely love, which is of course what I’m looking for. It’s also more likely to do a few things that I hate, like these three episodes. I’d rather have a mixed bag with some stuff I adore than a show I generally just like alright. A varied show also means the episodes stand out from each other more and are more memorable, which certainly helps a lot when making a list like this. This is the first long series that I successfully ranked from least favorite to favorite. I tried with Lost and it was a bust. I’m working on doing it with Buffy. The list. Not doing it . . . With . .. Buffy. Moving on!

111. A Dog and Pony Show (Season 1 Episode 19)
You’ll see a lot of season 1 at the bottom of this list. Remember what I said about variety? Season 1 has my very favorite episodes of the series, but a lot of my least favorites as well. There’s no season where I dislike more episodes than season 1, and yet it’s my 2nd favorite season overall, and I find that most of the episodes I like have held up very well, if not gotten more enjoyable. I care more about how well a season performs at its best than how well it does on average. Season 1 has the worst average score of any season, yet I’d give it a higher overall score than seasons 4 and 5. I like every season, but I like the first three seasons best.
The reasons for A Dog and Pony Show being my least favorite are simple. It’s the episode that annoys the most and the episode that I like the least about. It starts with Sapphire Shores (this show just loves its alliteration) paying a visit to Rarity. I don’t like Sapphire’s look or voice here, but I enjoy her in For Whom the Sweetie Belle toils, which is nice because her appearance is a bit larger in that one. Rarity and Spike go out looking for gems. This might be the only time we actually see adult Rarity out and hunting gems. It’s nice to have a look at once, and I enjoy Rarity and Spike interaction, though I enjoy it more after Secret of My Excess. Then the Diamond Dogs show up. At first they just sound like Gollum, which is fine if weird, but as the episode goes on I grow to really not like their voices. They’re pretty ugly as well and lack distinct personalities. Think of Adagio, Aria, and Sonata. Sonata is very different from the other two. Adagio and Aria are pretty similar but one is the clearly the leader while the other isn’t. To be fair though, that is a full length movie and there’s more time for stuff like that.
Rarity is forced to dig for gems, which is what she was already doing. It’s certainly not a good situation but it’s not stakes I care much about. She manages to get out of the situation through extreme whining. I will say that since she’s just pretending I don’t like Rarity’s character any less for it, but it grates on me harder than anything else in the series. My least favorite type of character is the sort of spoiled, whiny character that Rarity is pretending to be, like Mimi from Digimon or Gorgette from Oliver and Company, who are the first ones I think of when I think of characters I dislike, and I actually categorize them as Rarity Done Wrong characters in my head. You might think Rarity’s whining would make me feel sorry for the Dogs but I find them too annoying to love. I just have a bad time all around.
Am I crazy or is the animation a step below the usual in this episode? Pony is one of my favorite shows visually (alongside Noein, Gunslinger Girl, Samurai Jack, and Star vs. The Forces of Evil) but between the ugly Dogs, boring cavern, and clunky whack a mole sequence, this one doesn’t seem like a looker.
The one part of this episode I really like is Spike leaping on to Twilight to use her as a noble steed and saying “Just let me have this one.”, begging Twilight to give him his big heroic moment like in his dream. Pretty funny.
Rarity teaches little girls that you can be ladylike and still get out of a bad situation. I wonder how many little girls these days want to be ladylike. Most kids stuff seems to discourage prim and proper type characters, which is one reason I appreciate Rarity. She’s a nice subversion.
Ultimately, this episode bugs the crap out of me. It’s the one episode I kind of wish I had never seen, though I suppose that would make the awesome return of buff Spike in season 5 a little WTF.

110. Lesson Zero (Season 2 Episode 3)
Yeah, you read that right. I hate Lesson Zero. What’s more, Twilight is my favorite pony, so you’d think I’d love it.
I’ll say this. If someone put a gun up to my head and asked me to name the best episode or get my brains splattered, I’d say Lesson Zero. It’s my guess for the most popular episode of the show (though Party of One, Luna Eclipsed, Pinkie Pride, Twilight‘s Kingdom, and Crusaders of the Lost Mark are all competition), it’s quite unique despite sharing some similarities with Party of One, it’s a daring bit of black comedy coming from a little girls show, and it clearly has a lot of effort and creativity put into it. It’s one of the episodes I respect the most. I rank these episodes based on enjoyment, so episodes I find to be shallow dumb fun get put above episodes I respect and admire but don’t enjoy. However, the first time I saw this episode I didn’t realize that it was popular or good. I actually bashed it a bit only to find out that it was loved. I learned an important lesson that in retrospect I’m grateful for. I don’t like bashing things that people love. If I don’t like something that’s considered good, I consider that my problem, not other people’s.
It’s best to start with why Twilight is my favorite pony. It’s a mix of relatability and admiration. I used to be a huge bookworm like her. I would even stay in during recess to read. Also like her, I used to be pretty anit-social until I was suddenly thrust into a big social life full of quirky folks. Unlike with Twilight, it didn’t work out for me, and that’s where the series has a bit of wish fulfillment. Even though she’s a nerd, Twilight is often shown to be strong, courageous, and a good leader. She didn’t always know how to solve problems at first, and didn’t always handle discouragement well, but I always felt like she had a good head on her shoulders.
Yeah, you probably see where this is going. A fan of crazy, paranoid Twilight I am not at all. I don’t like it here, I don’t like it in It’s About Time, and I don’t like it at the beginning of The Crystal Empire. (It largely seems to phase out after that. I guess that breathing technique really worked.) I find it annoying, stressful, and worrying.
Twilight realizes she hasn’t learned a friendship lesson for the week, something that I would have thought would be inevitable at some point, and gives the biggest freak out ever (and in this series that’s saying a lot). She thinks Celestia is going to punish her horribly, even though Celestia has been nothing but nice in season 1, and has bad visions of children laughing at her, which makes me wonder if something bad happened during her childhood to make her anti-social and a little kaizo (to steal a Skirts term). I always wanted an episode all about Twilight as a filly, and if nothing else this episode only made me more curious. Twilight goes from pony to pony getting more and more over the top stressed. By the time she’s ready to make a friendship problem I’m pretty much done with her max level panic. Seeing Twilight purposefully causing trouble for children, and in such a creepy manner, really bothers me. Perhaps I had her on too high of a pedestal (to put it in Daring Don’t words), but I don’t see how smart, sensible Twilight fell so incredibly far. It’s not like I can’t relate about stressing over deadlines either.
After watching the astounding Elements of Brony series, I can more easily appreciate what people see in the story. Neal X and the gang bring up that as funny as Twilight and Pinkie are meant to be in Party of One and Lesson Zero, the episode isn’t really poking fun at them for being a little bit broken. Rainbow Dash is a little freaked out my Pinkie’s behavior, but still tries to take her to her party. And in Lesson Zero the mane six learn a lesson about taking their friend seriously. It just doesn’t sit well with me personally because I tried to take the problems of an insane drama queen seriously once and it did not go well for me, to put it mildly. Twilight seems unhealthy to both herself and those around her in this episode, and I can’t really laugh at that. I consider insanity to be black comedy, and it weirds me out a bit how frequently it’s used in kids shows. I can laugh when Ren goes crazy and eats a bar of soap in Ren and Stimpy because I don’t care about him so I’m not worried (the fact that it’s one of my favorite moments of voice acting ever helps too) but I do care about Twilight and won’t laugh when something dark happens to her. I’m just too serious a dude for that.
With the concept of Twilight freaking out over not learning a moral, it feels like this episode is deconstructing morals in cartoons, but I don’t really want it deconstructed. One thing I love about this show is that it plays things pretty straight most of the time. TV in general has been aiming pretty subversive ever since The Simpsons came out, and that’s great (The Simpsons is the only show I like more than Pony), but it gets old. I find Pony’s less subversive nature refreshing.
Now, on to what I liked. First off, although Twilight’s crazy expressions disturb me, I do appreciate how full of effort this episode’s animation is. It was definitely on a level beyond the norm. That opening sunrise and shot of Twilight’s house are gorgeous. The way the sun ticks across the sky like a clock is extremely brilliant. I wish I could say I was the person who came up with that. We also get my favorite sonic rainboom in the series. It creates a nice explosion and overall looks fantastic. Fluttershy snapping that bear’s neck always gets a laugh out of me. It’s just so extreme and ironic, and I know before we’re even told that there’s some kind of explanation. There’s also a nice little touch I love where Rarity tries to ask Twilight if something’s wrong after she’s run off. It shows that even when Rarity’s caught up in her own thing she still cares about her friends. This episode also alters the letter sending to where any of the mane six can send letters, so Twilight doesn’t have to be there at the end of every episode. It was a smart move.
Lesson Zero is the only episode that really made me mad. I have it above A Dog and Pony Show because there’s more that I get out of it, but I don’t know if I’ll ever really be able to enjoy it.
Phew, that was long. I imagine the reviews around the middle will be shorter as my opinions will be less extreme.

109. Over a Barrel (Season 1 Episode 21)
I like Over a Barrel okay towards the start. The train hijacking is pretty exciting, and we get the humorous Fluttershy is a Tree meme, which I enjoy seeing references to. It’s when we actually get to Appleoosa that I get annoyed. Braeburn’s over the top gregariousness and long pronunciation of Appleoosa grate on me, as does Chief Tunderhooves’ repetitive dialogue gag. Since I don’t like these two leads in the conflict, I have trouble caring about the conflict. I’m not huge on tradition either, so it’s really hard for me not to automatically side with the Appleoosans. You’ve Got to Share, You’ve Got to Care is a contender for my least favorite song. It’s supposed to be bad, but I kind of wish comedies would go for “so bad, it’s funny” humor a little less often for this very reason.
I was a little impressed when the buffalo and Appaloosan battle actually began, but then . . . Pies. I’m not saying I was expecting a big epic battle (the one in A Canterlot Wedding really surprised me) but I would have actually liked to buy that there was a battle happening. I bought it when Twilight was chased by a hydra. Maybe it could have been rocks. It could have still looked goofy but been believable. Or food could have still worked somehow. In Hey Arnold: The Movie (a film I have a real soft spot for even though I’m not a fan of the show) there’s a battle with tomatoes where it’s explained that the tomatoes are hard and hurt when you get hit with one. I dunno. Usually, I feel like this series works excellently within the restrictions of a Y rating, especially early on when those restrictions were especially tight (no disembodied pony legs in season 1). It’s a kids show, but I think as a kid this battle would have confused me. I guess it’s supposed to be funny when the Chief suddenly realizes that he’s not badly wounded and pies are in fact food, but I have a WTF reaction instead.
Over a Barrel’s an episode where I like the beginning, slide into dislike in the middle, and then into hate at the end.

Dislike (108-86)
*insert The Price is Right failure horn here*

108. Bridle Gossip (Season 1, Episode 9)
Gosh, these season one episodes are packed together down here. Maybe I was a harsher judge back in the day. I was a more cynical person when I got into the series than I am now. Actually, I’d wager the show has over time increased my optimism (meanwhile The Simpsons is probably where some of my cynicism comes from).
One of the things that improved about the show past season one was that it gotten less predictable. The predictability wasn’t a big issue even in season one, but sometimes things could feel just a tad “duh”. The one episode where it really hurts for me is Bridle Gossip. The second the mane six step in those blue flowers, I can tell they’re extremely important. It’s just so blatantly obvious, and Zecora trying to warn them without them getting the point only bugged me. The misdirection is designed to last the entire episode too. Twilight’s nightmare is pretty face palm worthy because I know for damn sure right from the start that Zecora isn’t a threat. It’s not quite right to complain that this episode insulted my intelligence, because back in season one days they didn’t know they had adult fans, and in a lot of PBS Kids fare, every episode is this blunt and obvious.
On top of the predictability, Zecora took a while to grow on me. The tribal African thing wasn’t doing it for me, and neither was the rhyming. Now I sort of appreciate her as someone Twilight can go to for advice, but I’m still happy she’s a minor character.
Pinkie’s song is another of those “so bad, it’s good” humor moments where I can appreciate what they’re going for but don’t really laugh. I don’t even really like Flutterguy singing it, as awesome an idea as that was, though I did really enjoy, “I don’t even wanna talk about it.” I also enjoyed Spike’s names for the ailments, and there’s a cute little slice of life moment with Twilight brushing her hair that I really enjoy. It just feels so season one, ya know? I also appreciate this episode a little more in hindsight with the Filli Vanilli continuity.

107. Applebuck Season (Season 1, Episode 4)
The other episode where the predictability kinda bugs me. Not much to say here. This episode tells a simple, slow paced story with a clear end. The appeal or lack thereof I imagine comes from how you can sympathize with Applejack’s problem and how much you like the humor. For me, it’s not much in both categories. I’m a lazy fellow whose unlikely to overexert myself, so that’s a nope on the relateability, and seeing Applejack exhausted and making a fool of herself just doesn’t tickle my funny bone.
I do like the beginning of the episode with Applejack rounding up the cows and being a big country hero.

106. Party of One (season 1, Episode 25)
Well, considering my reaction to Lesson Zero, hopefully you understand.
I didn’t look up to Pinkie Pie in the same manner as Twilight, so this episode didn’t bother me as much, but seeing a pony go through an unsettling and worrying mental breakdown still wasn’t going to trigger my awesome or funny bone. It’s not like I never want this show to be freaky. Sleepless in Ponyville, For Whom the Sweetie Belle Toils, and Bloom and Gloom are all high on my list. But in each of those cases it’s something freaky happening to the character rather than the character herself being creepy. I found Pinkie a tad harder to like after Party of One. It just feels like she was broken so very easily.
Moreso, Pinkie’s party at the start doesn’t look very fun. It’s that way to make the viewer think that maybe they actually are avoiding Pinkie’s parties, but it just makes me wonder why they do like them. It also feels like the others ought to have figured out in advance that Pinkie had forgotten her birthday, and said something to her before there could be some big misunderstanding. It’s also difficult for me to imagine such a party orientated gal forgetting her own birthday, especially when it’s right after her pet’s.
I get some chuckles out of the episode, like Rainbow’s drawn on watch, or Spike’s rambling under pressure. The animation during Pinkie’s breakdown is pretty neat too.
I like how after this point, her hair gets deflated a bit when she’s pushed in the direction of her breaking point, like in Maud Pie and Pinkie Pride. It makes no sense, but that’s Pinkie Pie for you.

105. It’s About Time (Season 2, Episode 20)
Again, this one’s kinda obvious after Lesson Zero.
So, Future Twilight shows up, and I’m very annoyed with Regular Twilight rambling over her. She just acts like such a ditz in this scene. The airy emphasis she puts in “YOU are not scientifically possible!” really grated on me. So, Twilight goes into overdrive to prevent turning into Future Twilight in that obsessed, paranoid way you already know isn’t my thing. One issue I have is that it feels like she moves on to new ideas too quickly. Her idea to do nothing seems like a good one (as long as she, you know, goes to the bathroom and all that) and I don’t think she gives it enough of a chance. And of course when Twilight goes back in time she says the exact same things that Future Twilight said. Not very smart.
The point of the episode is to help Twilight grow past being all stressed and paranoid, but the way the episode goes about it is very strange, if a neat idea.
I like Spike’s ice cream dream. His nonchalant, “Why yes, it is an ice cream house” is pretty charming. So is the way he uses Twilight’s do nothing policy as an excuse to engorge himself. It’s very childlike. The future proofing of Ponyville is a nice relaxing montage, and Pinkie’s ball hiding gag is one of the most randomly clever things in the series. It’s the sort of WTF moment I find really funny. The continuity Cerberus got in Twilight’s Kingdom was nice too.

104. Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3
Hey, finally one that’s not from the first two seasons. Seasons 3-5 tend to be grouped more towards the middle of the list, with seasons 1-2 at the top and bottom. I suppose my opinions got less extreme over time as I grew to understand the show’s characters and stories better but also grew less easily impressed.
Here’s an episode I could tell was good even before I saw the reception. The story covers subject matter more kids shows could stand to look at, it’s paced well, and it utilizes all the mane six well.
Part of the problem is relateability. I was not like Rainbow Dash at all in school. I was a bookworm like Twilight who preferred reading and writing to creative teaching or playing with others. Plus, Rainbow is just so flippant about this test. It takes it a while to get into her thick skull that she doesn’t have a good shot at passing. If the point of the episode was to make me see Rainbow as smart in her own way, I had trouble seeing it. I also had trouble buying the resolution. The idea of Rainbow noticing details without realizing it is pretty cool, but then it’s taken to a level that I couldn’t believe. She basically retained an entire play happening below her without realizing it. And even got a 100%. Sorry, just couldn’t buy it.
Also, Pinkie’s rap song. I don’t like rap. At all. I can appreciate the effort they put into making it look all 90’s, but there was no way it was going to do anything for me, plus Equestria is so old school and pleasant that seeing something as modern and harsh as rap in it is very strange to me.
Finally, Twilight and Rainbow’s dialogue with each other feels weirdly like TwiDash fan fiction. I just find it oddly unnatural. I guess oddly unnatural is how I’d describe this episode in general. I like what they’re going for a fair deal, but everything about the execution just doesn’t jive with me. It’s a shame.

103. Stare Master (Season 1, Episode 17)
I like the Cutie Mark Crusaders, but there was a time when I never thought I’d be able to say that. I didn’t like them in The Show Stoppers (the first time I saw it), I didn’t like them in The Cutie Mark Chronicles, I didn’t like them in Hearts and Hooves Day, and I didn’t like them here.
In Crusaders of the Lost Mark, the kids are like little paragons of good. Season one went the more realistic route of having them be annoying as all hell and, well, there’s a reason I’m never having kids. The CMC are noisy troublemakers here, and it’s certainly believable, if not very likable.
The beginning of the episode is kind of astounding after seeing Sisterhooves Social. Sweetie Belle sees this gold fabric that matters a lot to Rarity, just tears it up without a thought, and then Rarity forgives her like its nothing. It’s a little hard to watch.
I like Fluttershy fine throughout the episode. She out stares a Cockatrice and gets the girls in line, which is pretty cool, and the shot of a snail crawling over a stone Twilight is actually a bit chilling.

102. Luna Eclipsed (Season 2, Episode 4)
Lesson Zero, Party of One, and Luna Eclipsed possibly make up the three most popular episodes from the first two seasons, and I’ve got em all in the bottom ten. Yep, I’m weird. And I promise I’m not doing this on purpose or for attention. It is what it is.
I didn’t find Luna Eclipsed very annoying, chicken Pinkie aside. Just a bit confusing. Luna’s back, for the first time since the opening two parter. She looks different, she has a very loud voice she didn’t have before, she doesn’t seem to have been taught much about modern society, certainly not how to lower her voice, and everyone seems to celebrate a holiday based on Nightmare Moon, who only Twilight seemed to know about in the premiere. As Jontron would say, “I get it! …I don’t get it.” And like with Testing, I find it hard to relate with Luna’s problem. Despite being a big hairy dude, people generally catch on quick that I’m not very scary.
I do like the eternal, “The fun has been doubled!” and “Yes, I can tell by the adoring shrieks of the children as they run away.” the latter of which has a touch of the Frasier wit.
I ultimately prefer Dream Luna to Misunderstood Luna.

101. Twilight Time (Season 4, Episode 15)
It was challenging pinning down what I didn’t like about Twilight Time. It seemed like it wanted to be a simple, focused episode, yet it felt all messy. Sweetie Belle’s the one causing the problem with her “Relax, I got this.” attitude, so is she the protagonist, or all the CMC? Why does she have that attitude in the first place? It feels like that line could’ve been handed to any of the CMC. Is the antagonist Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, all of the town kids, some sort of personality issue with Sweetie Belle and her “Relax, I got this attitude.”, or some sort of personality issue with all the CMC? It’s nice that the kids care about Twilight being a princess, but why are they all acting like a zombie hive mind? Some kind of weird joke? Why is neat and tidy Twilight eating like a pig? I feel like this episode is missing a backbone, a strong center I can focus on throughout. An episode about the CMC and Diamond Tiara/ Silver Spoon might have been interesting. An episode about Twilight teaching the CMC might have been interesting. An episode about zombie children might have been interesting. Instead of getting one of those episodes, I felt like I got bits of all of them. If someone told me to write a point A to point B to point C summary of this episode, I’d be like “Uhhhhh…” This is interesting coming from a show that’s usually so good at having a solid foundation and structure to its episodes. One reason why even many of the lesser early episodes would leave me happy was because they felt so solid and focused and complete that the issues didn’t feel like they mattered so much. Here, I’m not sure what the point was.
The one part I really like is Sweetie Belle bragging about hanging out with Twilight to Diamond and Silver. It’s a such a bitchin’ mike drop moment. I also like Scootaloo making faces for the cameras, but then she has to talk about it, which sort of ruins the joke.
Overall, I’m far from hating this one. There’s no one thing that really bothers me. Just nothing that I really grab on to either. Compared to other “just a bunch of pointless stuff” episodes like Trade Ya or Three’s a Crowd, this one feels less on purpose, like it was trying to be something else. But that’s just my experience.

100. MMMystery on the Frienship Express (Season 2, Episode 24)
Here’s an episode very reliant on comedy. I’m not sure if I’ve already made this obvious, but humor isn’t one of my favorite aspects of MLP. I’ve chucked at a good number of the jokes, but the only episode I find really hilarious like one of my favorite Simpsons, South Park, or Game Grumps episodes is The Last Roundup. I love the show more for its characterization, heart, and optimism, as well as its great visuals, voice acting, and songs. Even the crazy imaginary sequences in this episode, while cool looking, don’t really get me to laugh.
So, we have a mystery. The question is “Who ate the food?” which I don’t care much about, and the answer is “A lot of characters” which I also don’t care much about. There’s a moral, but what we really learn is that half of these characters just can’t help themselves around sugary treats. Yep, this is a goofy one, and as I said earlier, I’m a serious guy.
Twilight and Pinkie playing Sherlock Holmes is kind of charming at least.

99. Simple Ways (Season 4, Episode 13)
This one dropped with re-watching a couple times. Like, a lot. Like about thirty places. I’d say there’s no other episode where my opinion has gone down as much as this one.
Rarity has yet another idol in the fashion industry, Trenderhoof, who has a pretty cool design. Rarity also has a crush on this Trenderhoof, presented in cartoony hearts and lots of panicking. I’m with MrEnter in that this one has a pretty by the numbers feel, following the basic beats of this type of story. I do really like Rarity’s crying scene. I feel like it should annoy me, but Tabitha St. Germain is just such a wonderful actress that her over the top outbursts make me grin instead, and I also appreciate Spike’s glance at the fourth wall. But then, the episode just doesn’t go much of anywhere, and ends up feeling a bit like filler. Rarity and Applejack swap personalities for a while, and then it just sort of … ends. Rarity leaps in some mud, and then snaps back to reality and learns her lesson. I remember kind of enjoying the episode the first time, but then I got towards the end and realized with a bit of disappointment “Oh . . . It’s not going to go anywhere after this silly voices thing, is it?” I’d been hoping for more in the interaction with Trenderhoof. Perhaps Rarity acting like Applejack could have worked, and Trenderhoof could have become attracted to her, only for Rarity to realize on her own that Trenderhoof’s feelings of affection were hollow and not worth fighting for. The episode has a good message, but I feel like it could have gotten across a bit stronger that way. There’s also Rarity’s country voice, which entertained me the first time, but got more annoying with each viewing.

98. It Ain’t Easy Being Breezies (Season 4, Episode 16)
I’m not entirely sure what the most unpopular episode of season 4 is. It might be Rainbow Falls, Somepony to Watch Over Me, or Equestria Games. But my best guess is that it’s this one.
As for me, it’s not that I find the Breezies super annoying. It’s more that I’m confused by how much smarter Seabreeze is than the others. It’s like he’s another species or something. There’s also the fact that most of the Breezies don’t seem to care about going home, so I don’t really care if they get home either. And my other issue is Twilight transforming her friends into Breezies. Some people hate this because it feels like a “buy our toys” moment. It certainly does to me as well, even more than Equestria Girls or Rainbow Power, but that’s not why I don’t like it. Some people don’t like it because of a “deus ex machina” feeling, and again I feel it too, and again that’s not why I don’t like it. I don’t like it because Twilight gives no warning to her friends other than “this’ll feel funny” before turning them into a different species. Twi, honey, dat ain’t right.
Those issues aside, I don’t dislike the episode as much as some. Fluttershy isn’t annoying, I like the double morals we get, the Breezies home is interesting, and it’s all around a very weird and unique episode, though still not one I’ll give another watch anytime soon.

97. Owl’s Well That Ends Well (Season 1, Episode 24)
I’ll admit it’s been a while since I’ve seen this one, but I don’t feel curious about going back and seeing if my opinion has changed and, well, that’s not such a great sign. This is one of the least popular season one episodes. It’s just not a super likable story. A new friend joins the picture and everypony switches the praise they were giving Spike over to him, with Rarity even giving the owl the exact same bowtie. It just isn’t especially fun. The who jokes and number one assistant lines weren’t exactly the next 20% cooler or “I’d like to be a tree” either.
I have to say though that the store that only sells two things is my favorite joke in all of season one. “You only sell two things!” It’s like a great Seinfeld line or something.
The other thing I remember is finding the “blood” covered mouse a bit disturbing, though I’m not sure that’s really a complaint. Just note worthy.
At some point Spike goes out and finds a dragon. That sounds exciting. It’s pretty amazing then how little I remember about it.

96. Somepony to Watch Over Me (Season 4, Episode 17)
And another not so popular episode. I will say I really like the beginning of the episode. The seriousness of the opening scene is ironically entertaining. I love the way Apple Bloom is hurt when she realizes that Applejack is leaving her alone because she has to, not because she actually thinks Apple Bloom is ready. There’s a great set up for a sweet character episode in the style of Sisterhooves Social here. I’m also a fan of the hats and bows closet, a gag many a cartoon has but one I always enjoy, and Apple Bloom’s excitement over being home alone is quite endearing and made me like her more.
Then, Applejack starts acting cray cray, and it’s just hard to buy coming from such a solid, down to earth, well adjusted character. I can see why giving Applejack believable character issues would be tough, and the writers had been struggling since season two. I laughed at the double helmet, but mostly the whole thing was just ridiculous.
The freaky forest Apple Bloom travels through is pretty cool looking, and here she runs into a chimera. I feel like they could have gone one of two ways here. They could have made the chimera a threatening predator or a charming character. They kind of go for both and even though I don’t hate it, I don’t think it gels super great either. The chimera brings up feeling the same annoyance of having someone looking over your shoulder, and then it doesn’t really go anywhere. Not really aggravating, but just kind of odd.
Applejack comes in and saves the day. Some might go on about a broken moral here, but I don’t care so much about that. For me, the episode is more a missed opportunity than anything else. Annoying, but it had potential.

95. A Bird in the Hoof (Season 1, Episode 22)
This one doesn’t get as much flack as Owl’s Well That Ends Well, but it doesn’t hit the favorites lists super often either. Unlike with Somepony to Watch Over Me, I’m not sure there was a ton of potential here. If someone handed me the concept ‘Fluttershy does a poor job taking care of a sick, ugly bird’ I would say “Oh . . . Maybe I can throw in a funny sub-plot or something.” It’s got that simple, slow, down to earth season one feel I like, and it’s got Celestia showing a bit of personality, and not much else. The revelation that the bird was just screwing with Fluttershy and the more non-sensical return of the Benny Hill bit are both slightly annoying, but the episode is more meh than truly aggravating.
Boy, the ponies sure were more afraid of Celestia back in the early days. Maybe it was cause of that whole banishing her sister thing or maybe it was just the writers making them more childlike. Either way, I found it a little tough to swallow.

94. The Cutie Mark Chronicles (Season 1, Episode 23)
Awww man, I really wish I liked this one. There’s a lot from the second half of season one low on this list. I remember it being a bit of a slog at the time, but it didn’t bug me too much for a few reasons. One, I didn’t exactly go into the series with the highest of expectations. Two, when I got into the series, the first two seasons were already out, so I could blow through all the episodes I didn’t like to find the ones that I did. Three, the end of the road was The Best Night Ever, which as I’ll explain later is my favorite episode.
Unlike A Bird in the Hoof, The Cutie Mark Chronicles is pretty darned important. It’s the story of how the mane six got their cutie marks. Sounds pretty exciting. But a lot of the ways they do get them is kind of obvious and what I’d expect. With six stories, there isn’t much time to give them any complexity or twists. The odd one out is Twilight’s story, which confused and disappointed me when I first watched it. It felt like Twilight entered her “magic mode” because of Rainbow Dash’s sonic rainboom, and that made it feel like she didn’t become Celestia’s student through her own magical talents but because of Rainbow Dash. However, Digibro explained in his Alicorn Princess Twilight Sparkle video that the mane six receiving their cutie marks at the same time was their first connection as friends, and since friendship is magic, there’s the explanation for Twilight’s magic surge, displaying that her power becomes fully untapped through magic, such as in how she becomes a princess through the magic of friendship. Thank you Digi for being smarter than me. Btw, this show is weird. I like seeing little Twilight just starting to learn magic and barely able to turn a page, and this episode really sparked my interest in a full “Twilight’s childhood” episode, though I have no idea if it would be any good or not.
I said before I didn’t like the Crusaders yet, so their scenes weren’t for me, especially when it comes to Scootaloo, who felt like nothing more than a miniature Rainbow Dash, though she would later become my favorite Crusader due to Sleepless in Ponyville.
I‘m not sure how I feel about the idea that the mane six had a connection with each other before they met, like it was destiny that they became friends. It‘s a strange concept. There‘s a bit of dialogue in The Cutie Re-Mark about the importance of their friendship to the world that I‘m curious about. “Maybe you and your future best friends are all looking at the same rainbow.” I actually unironically liked this line, and didn’t approve of the lampshading from Spike.
Overall, I think I would’ve preferred one complex story about one of the characters getting their cutie mark rather than five simple stories and the strangeness that is Twilight’s story. An important episode that on some level I appreciate, but not one of the ones I enjoy the most.
Having just gone back to Twilight’s scene, I’d like to take an opportunity to point out how I feel that the show was better at “show, don’t tell” in its early seasons. Twilight’s parents smile at Twilight to get her to smile rather than saying something, there’s a picture of a dragon hatching to explain to the audience what the entrance exam is, and the judges yawn and say “Well, Ms. Sparkle” rather than directly stating their impatience or boredom. There’s a lot of little examples like this that help the show feel natural and not forced. Starting season 4, I feel like there’s a trend of more blunt exposition, and it’s one reason why, even though there’s a lot more season 1 episodes down here, I like season 1 more than 4.

93. Rainbow Falls (Season 4, Episode 10
This might sound pretty “duh”, but I want to like the episodes of this show. I enjoy liking things. Even the episodes that aren’t so popular, I would prefer to like, and you’ll find later on that I do like such episodes as The Mysterious Mare Do Well and Boast Busters and am happy about it. But I’m actually kind of happy that I don’t like Rainbow Falls. In fact, I wouldn’t mind disliking it more.
It’s not exactly clear why such weak fliers as Bulk Biceps and Fluttershy are competing in the pony Olympics or how Rainbow Dash got stuck with them. They kind of try to explain, but the episode seems more interested in Bulk Biceps and Pinkie Pie screaming at the top of their lungs. Maybe they hoped people wouldn’t notice that the plot is a little… confusing. The rainbow falls themselves are nice looking though, and there’ s some nice visual and musical continuity with Wonderbolts Academy.
That last paragraph kind of stands for the whole episode in that on the surface I find the episode pleasant, but underneath the surface the core plot bugs me, and this combination leaves the episode feeling shiny and manipulative, like it’s janging keys, and with the inclusion of Derpy, it feels like they’re dangling keys in front of the bronies faces more than the little kids. And the thing is, to an extent it works. We are no longer deep into the dislike section. I wasn’t sure I disliked this episode until Rainbow Dash showed up in that wheelchair. The cute cheerleaders and giant pile of pom poms (lol what was Pinkie going to do with all those?) and Derpy and flashiness and yelling almost distracted me from my issues with the story, and I feel a little bad about that.
Some people don’t like Twilight ragging on Rainbow Dash to compete with her team because they feel like it was unfair for Dash to be saddled with Bulk Biceps and Fluttershy in the first place. I don’t know whether it was unfair or not because I don’t really understand how it happened. This was actually my favorite appearance from Twilight in season 4. I really like “Choosing not to choose isn’t really a decision.” It feels like something a princess should say. People who didn’t like Twilight in this episode seemed to like Rainbow Dash pretending to be injured, but that’s when I gave up on the episode. Rather than being honest, she decided to worry her friends and even says she’ll be lucky if she ever flies again. Geez, Dashie.
Rainbow Dash teaches a lesson to the Wonderbolts about not being a dick. If they were so open to the idea of becoming better ponies, I’m not sure why they hadn’t already learned not to be dicks. They’re adults, right? And Spitfire seemed like an okay gal in Wonderbolts Academy. Whatever.
I like a lot of little things from this episode. I’m not gonna lie. I squeed like a little girl when Twilight showed up in that cheerleader outfit out of nowhere. But the glitz and glam wasn’t enough to make me like it overall.

92. Hurricane Fluttershy (Season 2, Episode 22)
Ohhhhhhhhhhh boy. I don’t wanna talk about this one. Can we talk about Filli Vanilli instead? No? Okay then.
This is the opposite of Rainbow Falls. I really REALLY wish I liked this one. Not only is this episode popular, and not only could I tell it was good while watching it for the first time a la Testing Testing 1, 2, 3, but this episode feels made for me. The Fluttershy episode I’d wanted since episode 1. It’s like someone worked hard to make this beautiful thing just for me and I said, “Hmmmm. No, it’s not quite right. Take it back and make it again.” like a spoiled little bitch. And they went back and made Filli Vanilli and I loved it. More on that later.
I can tell the core plot is solid. Flawless, some might say. I can tell it’s hitting all the right beats and that my heart should go out to Fluttershy, but . . . It doesn’t. In Filli Vanilli, I can clearly see how Fluttershy getting over her fears will benefit her because she loves to sing. Here, if she gets over her fears, she gets to help bring water to Cloudsdale. Since Ponyville isn’t the only town that can do this, there aren’t any real stakes there. I don’t care much about Rainbow Dash’s record either. Sorry. I feel bad because this episode is trying SO hard. “Do it for Equestria! Do it for Rainbow Dash! Do it for yourself!” I want to get the feels and not roll my eyes at this. I really do. I want to want to hug Fluttershy when she’s crying in the grass. But I don’t.
Now, I can relate to Fluttershy about as much as I can relate to Twilight. I’m self-conscious, socially awkward, shy, not super confidant, and a bit of a pussy in general (I do have a nice full beard though). But these were bigger problems when I was kid. Same with getting teased, and people trying to rope me into doing things I wasn’t good at and didn’t want to do. Maybe if this were an episode about, or more largely about, Fluttershy’s childhood, I could have connected with it better, like if the percentage of flashback in the episode had been on more of a Lost level. I understand that if the entire episode had been about Fluttershy gaining confidence as a filly the character wouldn’t make much sense. But maybe seeing more than a glimpse would have helped me out personally. I really appreciate the creepy “Fluttershy can hardly fly” thing with the eyes for showing children in a disturbing manner how awful bullying is and the negative effect teasing can have on a person, but when I saw all those eyes I thought “That looks weird”. I love the idea on an epic training montage showing the progression of Fluttershy’s flying ability, but in execution I was a little weirded out that Fluttershy was able to trick herself into thinking of the critters with masks as ponies. See how this is the opposite of Rainbow Falls for me? I love love LOVE the ideas here, but the execution rubs me the wrong way a bit.
The part of the episode I like best is Rainbow Dash, which seemed funny to me because at the time Fluttershy was my favorite pony and Rainbow Dash was one of my least favorites. Now Twilght’s my favorite and I like Rainbow Dash more than Pinkie Pie or Applejack. Rainbow is so supportive of Fluttershy in this episode. She truly in her heart wants to see Fluttershy succeed and doesn’t just want her help to break the record. At the same time, she isn’t such a softie that she doesn’t feel like Rainbow Dash. I love in their early conversation where she starts to get a little mean and then stops herself and remembers who it is she’s talking to. Fucking wonderful character writing. I also love the way she kicks at the ground in frustration when Fluttershy runs off. I admit I got a little shipping fuel vibe out of that. TheMusicMan1012 may have helped a bit with that.
If this list were based on which episodes I respect the most or which episodes I’m happiest exist, this one would be sky high. But it’s based on enjoyment, so number 92 it is. Sorry, Hurricane Fluttershy.

91. Hearts and Hooves Day (Season 2, Episode 17)
Here’s one I haven’t seen very many times. Could it be only twice? That’s rare for an episode this old. Maybe it’s because if I want to watch a season 2 episode involving a Crusader, there’s four I like and only one I don’t like.
This is a really goofy, dumb fun sort of episode. There’s a small thrill to seeing Big Mac drag a house or the melodrama with the close shave involving their time limit, but mostly it just isn’t my kind of story. At the end of the day, you either love Big Mac and Cheerilee’s silly babbling and frantic behavior or you don’t, and I don’t. The story doesn’t matter much, so it’s all about fun factor, or lack thereof. There are some episodes I can have dumb fun with without caring much about the story. Power Ponies is a great example. But this isn’t one of them. Luckily, Brotherhooves Social would provide me a Big Mac episode with both fun and heart. I wonder if they’ll ever do anything like that with Cheerilee.

90. Putting Your Hoof Down (Season 2, Episode 19)
Here’s an episode that really seems to fall into the love it or hate it category. Digibro and Keg Standard love it. TheMysteriousMrEnter and my best friend hate it, for largely similar reasons. And TheMusicMan1012 seemed to find it hilarious yet hate the morality. I actually feel a bit out of the loop for not loving or hating it. We’re really close to the neutral zone with this list now. I’m just barely on the dislike side with this episode. There’s more to say than usual. Let’s go bit by bit.
Fluttershy tries to feed Angel. I like how Angel impatiently waits for his food and then just knocks it over. What a brat. Some people find the way he slaps Fluttershy shocking and violent. I find a bunny slapping a pony too cartoony to take so seriously. Fluttershy goes to the market to get more food. A lot of ponies there appear to be jerks. Some felt this was out of character for Ponyville. I can buy that there are jerks in Ponyville we haven’t seen before and that they’re showing themselves now to take advantage of Fluttershy’s weakness. I don’t mind that this episode is a bit darker and meaner than usual. It doesn’t go far enough to shock me. Of course, I did grow up on Silent Hill and South Park, and even in the realm of kids shows this show at its most fucked up isn’t 1/1000th as fucked up as Billy and Mandy.
Rarity and Pinkie try to teach Fluttershy about assertiveness, and here’s my first little issue. The way they teach Fluttershy about assertiveness is manipulative and incorrect, but it isn’t pointed out that it’s incorrect. I’m all for a kids show that doesn’t explain any little thing, and I’m happy that Pony is good about that, especially in the first few seasons, and I certainly don’t watch this show to learn morals or teach my nonexistent kids morals, but I wouldn’t have minded them spelling out “this is wrong”. And I kind of just want Pinkie to leave the shop clerk alone. Let them charge what they want.
Fluttershy feels bad about being a doormat and goes to see motivational speaker Iron Will. I kind of like Iron Will. He’s dumb, but he’s memorable, and an interesting mix and mean and not so mean. It feels like he’s so dumb that he doesn’t know what he’s doing is wrong and he just loves the attention and money. Everyone has always been satisfied after all, so he probably assumes he’s enriching lives.
Iron Will teaches Fluttershy not to let ponies push her around, and she takes his advice up to eleven, becoming addicted to the power and getting her own way for once. Yes, I can buy this behavior from Fluttershy. She’s just doing what the motivational guy taught her, and honestly, I’m not sure Fluttershy’s very bright. But what we have here is a long stretch of goofy comedy, and I’ve already explained that’s not my favorite aspect of the show. I found her anger in The Best Night Ever more clever and funny as well as less repetitive.
Here’s where the morality starts to get a little weird. At first, Fluttershy is getting revenge on ponies who are doing something to wrong her, like overwatering her plants or blocking a bridge. But then she starts going after seemingly just anypony. This seems to suggest that she only went too far when she started going after ponies that weren’t doing anything wrong, when I feel like the episode would be morally stronger if it focused on pointing out that when people are dicks the answer isn’t just to be a dick right back to them. It’s kind of satisfying seeing Fluttershy dumping manure on those bitches who won’t move or spraying water at the gardener, but seeing her attacking ponies who are doing no wrong isn’t so satisfying. Some people feel like Fluttershy should’ve just flown over the ponies who were blocking the bridge, but maybe she’s used to walking and didn’t think to fly. She doesn’t really like flying most of the time after all. Or maybe she just didn’t want to. It wasn’t right to stand on that bridge blocking the way and talking about nothing either way.
Then there’s THAT scene, the Fluttershy makes Rarity and Pinkie cry scene, which some people find horrifying. Here’s why I don’t hate it. Even in this scene, the dialogue is still pretty goofy. With the “fashion is her passion” and “flying feather” and the big blue background behind Fluttershy and Rarity. It still feels silly and like a cartoon, you know? I just can’t take it so seriously. Plus, Fluttershy feels terrible about it immediately after. She understands that she swerved deep into the wrong path and is terrified of doing it again. I don’t dislike Fluttershy any for this scene, especially since Rarity and Pinkie get over it really quickly. Here’s why I don’t love it. Fluttershy criticizes Rarity and Pinkie for their fashion and parties. The things that they’re good at. I suppose the idea is that even though Fluttershy appreciates what they’re good at, sometimes she gets sick of it, or something. I feel like it would’ve gotten across better if she’d been criticizing them for something, you know, bad about them. Then it could teach that if there’s something about your friends you don’t like, being mean to them isn’t the solution. So yeah, I don’t love or hate this scene the same way I don’t love or hate this episode. I’m not trying to change anyone’s mind, just explain how I feel.
So, the ending. Iron Will knocks on Fluttershy’s door to collect his money. He’s entitled to it, since he has every reason to believe she’s satisfied. When she tells him she isn’t, he accepts that begrudgingly and goes on his way. Yet the episode seems to see him as the bad guy, despite his understanding and cute little shopping basket. I just can’t see him as the villain of this story. I might not be horrified by Fluttershy’s actions, but I feel like if Iron Will saw her make her friends cry in the way that she did, he’d say, “Wow, you’re a bitch.”
I really wanted to like this one. Fluttershy was my favorite at the time, and I loved the idea of an episode about her taking assertiveness too far. When you have a super nice character like Fluttershy, it’s only natural to want to know what happens when she snaps and gets angry. But I can see why some people really don’t like this one. I’d say a better version of this episode is Hurricane Neddy from The Simpsons. In that episode, the point where Ned snaps is very clear, and the episode even goes so far as to put him in a straightjacket. In Putting Your Hoof Down, it seems like all the times ponies were mean to her over the years have built up inside and exploded out of her after the Iron Will seminar, but it just isn’t expressed all that clearly. In Hurricane Neddy, Flanders criticizes the townsfolk of Springfield for their faults. Springfield is a setting full of very flawed and often mean folks no matter what episode your watching. In Putting Your Hoof Down, Fluttershy assaults some ponies who meant no harm and criticizes her friends for the things that they’re good at. Maybe this show just wasn’t as well built for this story.
I’m happy the writers went for this one, and I’m very far from hating it, but there’s enough things I dislike for it to have the tip of a hoof in the dislike section.

89. Make New Friends but Keep Discord (Season 5, Episode 7)
Hey, our first trip to season 5 land, and we haven’t even gotten to season 3 land.
MNFbKD is a simple, lightweight episode, like Hearts and Hooves Day. You either like jelly Discord, or you don’t like jelly Discord, and I’m just not a fan. Since so much of the episode is jelly Discord, here we are in dislike land. I suppose seeing such a powerful and intelligent character dealing with such a simple and petty emotion so much for such a long runtime doesn’t gel with me.
There are bits I like that keep this episode close to the neutral zone, particularly in the last third. It’s nice to see Maud. Her “You’re the most basic of jokes” line would have been groan worthy coming from a background character, but because it’s Maud, I like it. I appreciate that Discord apologizes to the Smooze, treating it like a real character and lot just a blob. The same goes for Tree Hugger not being ready for a hug with Discord, adding a wrinkle to her accepting hippy personality, which is good because up until then I wasn’t digging her. Fluttershy does assertiveness correctly, similar to Tanks For the Memories, expressing that those first four seasons of character development did add up to something. Discord’s wrath line is pretty great, and it’s nice to see where he lives. I’d wondered where he was hanging out. Oh, and Celestia is perhaps the most expressive she’s ever been.

88. Tanks For the Memories (Season 5, Episode 5)
Would you believe after the first time I watched this I was actually crazy enough to have it all the way down in the bottom five? Oh. Of course you would. Lesson Zero is down there. *embarrassed squee smile* When I went back to Simple Ways and it dropped down where it did, I thought to myself, “That episode was so emotionally hollow, and I remember Tanks For the Memories proudly wearing its emotions on its sleeve. Could it really be possible that I like Tanks For the Memories LESS than Simple Ways?” And going back, I found Tanks less hard to watch knowing what I was in for.
So the idea here is that it’s a metaphor or allegory or something for Tank dying. Rainbow Dash reacts like Tank is dying. But literally speaking, he isn’t. And if I can’t enjoy the episode from a literal standpoint, I’m going to have trouble enjoying it from a non-literal standpoint. The first time I saw this, I really disliked Rainbow Dash yelling at her friends and selfishly trying to stop an entire season just for her own needs. Now I’m softer on it. It might still be a bit hard for me to watch, but this episode is so emotionally . . . Honest, for lack for a better word. It grates on me yet I respect it at the same time. Plus, I like the song, and always laugh at the shot of Tank being spun around by Rainbow Dash. Usually I roll my eyes at that gag, but here it just looks really damn funny. As I mentioned, I also like Fluttershy continuing to be assertive and Applejack’s cry on the inside line, as well as the Who’s on First style back on forth with the pony names, though I still prefer Namby Pamby. The “Winter is coming” line is my least favorite reference the show has made. It’s too obvious and a real groaner, plus I really don’t see how Twilight can tell Winter is in fact coming.
Two things keep this one in the dislike zone. One, Rainbow Dash wrecking an entire factory for her wants is hard for me to watch, and Tank almost goes flying into a fan because of it. Yeah, Tank almost literally dies because of Dash’s iron grip on her friend. She cares about her pet to what appears to be an unhealthy extent. Two, the crying scene just embarrasses and annoys me, and it goes on so long too.
I really like how much Rainbow Dash has developed emotionally. Can you imagine how bizarre some of these scenes would be in the first couple seasons? But they make sense here. I might find Rainbow Dash’s selfishness hard to watch, but I’m happy I gave this episode a second look and softened up a bit, and if this episode helps any child get over the death of their pet, then bloody bravo.

87. What About Discord? (Season 5, Episode 22)
And now for the less popular of the two season 5 Discord episodes. This one had a bit more of a mean spirited vibe than Make New Friends, but I liked it more. Just a skosh.
Twilight uses her three days off to organize her books. Well, whatever she finds fun I guess. It’s kind of cute how into it she is. I think she’s even aware how pointless it is. Later in the episode she seems worried that she shouldn’t have wasted her time and should have spent time with her friends instead, but I think the episode is trying to tell her that she should do what she wants and not try to force good times, and that organizing those books wasn’t a mistake. I think. This isn’t always the clearest of episodes. Of course, the main moral for Twilight is to admit to herself that she still has negative emotions and being a princess hasn’t changed that, and it’s better to be open about it and not try to fight it. I like that. Twilight’s teary freak out might be a bit grating, but it has a good point.
Then there’s Discord. He’s noticeably less cute than he was in Make New Friends. Similar to Princess Twilight Sparkle, he’s manipulating Twilight into learning a moral and enjoying the show. He seems to really enjoy her misfortune, even after she saved him in Twilight’s Kingdom and they shared their first group hug. Maybe this episode would have gone over a bit better if it’d happened before Twilight’s Kingdom. In the end, Discord gets his comeuppance in the form of an inside joke, and that’s nice, but it doesn’t feel like quite enough considering how malicious he was behaving towards Twilight the entire time. I would’ve understood the mane six being a little more irked at him. I understand that Twilight has rarely been super nice towards Discord, but since he’s the one who tried to take over the world and brainwashed her friends, maybe he should be the one making the first step. He does WANT to be good friends with her . . . I think. That is what I was supposed to take away from his dance scene at the end of Three’s a Crowd . . . I think. Discord is confusing sometimes. You can take him a lot of different ways.
So, all those inside jokes. I can see what they were going for and I think it was a really interesting idea. A friend getting jealous of a bunch of inside jokes isn’t a plot I’d call cliché. It’s also not an episode I’d imagine would be easy to write. Making the audience understand why the characters find the inside jokes funny while also making them understand why Twilight isn’t getting them while also not completely explaining the jokes is a tough balancing act, so it’s not surprising that I’m not having a blast during those scenes. I guess my impression is “nice try”.
I do like Twilight’s experiment. Not only is it a very Twilight thing to, but the dialogue is very intelligent, yet paced and explained gently enough that I think a kid would follow it fine.
My favorite moment of the episode is when Twilight suggests the others are under Discord’s spell and Fluttershy has this wonderful “fuck you” look on her face. It’s perfect.
As a last note, this is the third time Discord starts to leave a scene in an ordinary way and then just teleports. I like it every time. I don’t know if they can over-milk it for me.

86. Trade Ya! (Season 4, Episode 22)
Just one more! We’re almost out of the dislike section! This episode is very close to being in the neutral zone. It’s just the last scene that gently nudges it into dislike.
Trade Ya is a “pointless stuff” episode, telling three goofy little stories. I think I prefer the sharper focus the show usually has, but I don’t mind an experiment. They could try something like this again and who knows, maybe I’d love it. The Rarity and Applejack story plays their personalities against each other well, and I like Applejack’s little three card monty swap, but they do a lot of bickering, and I thought they’d gotten over that after Look Before You Sleep. I really like their interactions in The Crystal Empire and Sleepless in Ponyville, where they’re taking little jabs at each other without really arguing. The Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy story is apparently inspired by Ocarina of Time. I didn’t get very far in that. Puzzles and me don’t gel. I think outside the box and miss the most obvious things right in front of me, like a different looking wall I have to blow up, so I spend an entire hour in the same freaking room trying to Rube Goldberg the whole thing, and… I’m off topic. I like this story. Just watching how elaborate the trade gets is fun. I’m not disturbed by the idea that it’s possible for ponies to be traded into servitude, and I understand that Rainbow was just distracted for a minute and would never have let her friend be sold off if her life depended on it. And it’s very cute that Fluttershy gets her whistle.
The Twilight and Pinkie story is my least favorite. I kinda thought they were going to go for a “It’s good to let go of the things you don’t need anymore so that others can make new good experiences” which would have been nice. Instead, Twilight’s a bit of a hoarder. I suppose it sets up her house getting destroyed, as well as her books, pretty well at least.
The ending on the train seems to go for the feels a bit, which comes across a bit corny to me, since this felt like more of a dumb fun kind of episode rather than a feelsy character episode. If the ending had been more in line with the tone of the rest of the episode, this one might not be in the dislike section. It’s barely in here, after all.

Neutral/Unsure (85-80)
Here are the six episodes where I’m not sure if I like them or dislike them, or I’m sure that I just don’t feel strongly about them one way or the other (a certain Futurama clip is playing in my head right now). Just six of these and we can move on to the seventy-nine reasons why this show is one of the best things that’s ever happened to me.

85. Spike at Your Service (Season 3, Episode 9)
Yeah, here’s where a lot of those Spike episodes are. Also, welcome to season 3 land. That’s right. I don’t dislike a single episode of the least popular season. Of course, it only had half as many episodes, but still, this is the season I most consistently enjoy, and I prefer it to seasons 4 and 5 (I go 2 > 1 > 3 > 4 > 5, but I really like every season).
I’m not a fan of the core plot of SaYS. I’ve never liked the “You saved my life, now I’m indented to you” thing. Plus, Spike is pretty awful at housework for someone who does housework all the time. Some complain that it’s out of character for Spike to abandon Twilight, but to me it seems like a very little boy type thing to do. I feel like no matter what happened, he would have gone back to Twilight after a little while. Kids love to briefly feel like they’re making massive life changing decisions while ultimately having stability.
There’s a lot of smaller stuff I like which keeps me from disliking the episode. The timber wolves look really cool, like something out of a cel shaded video game, and watching Applejack take them out is a treat. I like how quickly Spike gets jazzed to go to Rarity’s house, and it’s sweet that she’s willing to taste that disgusting pie for him. I laugh at Rainbow’s line “I was sure he’d give up after like three rocks” and the way she’s willing to ram her skull into all of them instead of trying to work her way out if it. If Spike hadn’t been able to spot the fake timber wolf, I might have disliked this one, but luckily he’s not that stupid. And I like the way Twilight senses a disturbance in the force just from Applejack nudging something over.

84. Equestria Games (Season 4, Episode 24)
More Spike. This was just an odd decision. I don’t know what exactly I expected all those Equestria Games episodes to build up to, but it certainly wasn’t a Spike episode. That’s not the only thing that left me unsure about how to feel.
“Winners or not, we still have a chance to be awesome.” “Easy peasy cider squeezy.” Is it just me, or is the dialogue a bit more . . . Lame than usual in this one? I don’t have another word for it.
I like all the continuity with The Crystal Empire a lot. The show didn’t just give him a stained glass window and say “now let us never speak of this again”. Nope, he gets a big statue, and his rescue of the Crystal Empire also gets a mention in Twilight’s Kingdom, with a shot of that statue again. Nice.
Then, Spike gets stage fright. We’ve never seen him have this problem before, but I can buy it. Being in front of a lot of people and being in front of a LOT of people are two different things, as I know from experience. I never got nervous on stage at school, but one time I had to give a speech in front of a larger crowd and I got the jitters. It does seem just the teensiest bit redundant since we had a stage fright episode with Fluttershy the same season, but this episode is really about different things. “Equestria, we have a problem.” I guess during Equestria Girls, Twilight’s friends showed her Apollo 13 off screen. Snark snark.
Thankfully, Twilight decides to help out with her magic. I’m also grateful that she decides to tell Spike the truth immediately rather than bullshitting him. Rainbow’s shades are pretty great too. I also like the terrible anthem song. No, really. It’s because at first Spike does a pretty decent job of making shit up as it goes along before it dissolves into nothing. For some people it’s just too awkward, but I swear I’ve seen more awkward things than that on TV before, though specific examples escape me.
Spike goes off to mope, and I kind of just don’t care. In some parts of this episode Spike seems very childish and in some parts he seems more serious. In his second video on the episode, Tommy Oliver talked about Spike not really having one distinctive character, and I got what he meant. It’s hard for me to take Spike seriously when the show treats him as a butt monkey so often. It’s part of why I prefer dumb fun Spike episodes like Just For Sidekicks and Power Ponies to this one. The moral seems very adult, and I can respect that, but it feels a bit odd for this episode and this character.
Another case of me unsure how to feel is the climax. It feels really contrived for one of the archers to make such a perilous mistake, but I find Spike’s giant burst of flame really cool. This episode just tugs me in all sorts of directions, and ultimately has lots of stuff in it I like without adding up to a whole that I like because I have trouble feeling anything for Spike’s conflict, and the episode is serious enough that that’s an issue, as opposed to Power Ponies where I don’t care about the Spike conflict but that’s fine because it feels like the Spike conflict is just there to springboard into other, goofier stuff anyway.

83. Princess Twilight Sparkle (Season 4, Episode 1-2)
Our first two parter. Yep, I don’t dislike any of them, though I’m mixed on this one.
This was the first time I had an issue with the pacing in this series, outside of maybe The Show Stoppers. I didn’t feel that Keep Calm and Flutter On or Magical Mystery Cure needed to be a two parter like many, yet this episode that actually was a two parter felt a bit overstuffed to me. It’s got princess stuff, Discord stuff, Celestia and Luna stuff, vine stuff, tree of harmony stuff, crocodile stuff, weird sky stuff, mane six relationship stuff, etc. I think there were just a couple too many different things going on in this one for me to connect with and get excited about it all.
I like the way Twilight deals out orders to the guards, and I wish there had been more moments like that. Twilight felt more lost and mopey and less strong and confident in season 4 than in the first three seasons, and I didn’t enjoy her character here as much as in Winter Wrap Up or A Canterlot Wedding, to give a couple examples. It is all adding up to her decision in Twilight’s Kingdom to become the Princess of Friendship, so it was all building to something at least. I have a theory that the creators characterized Twilight in season 4 the way they did because of the backlash against Magical Mystery Cure, and the worry that Twilight would become a Mary Sue. So, I think they may have worked to keep Twilight sensitive and unsure in order to avoid this, and for me personally, they may have gone too far. I also think moments like her big smile and diving into a pile of books in Castle Mane-ia exist to help retain the “adorkable” quality bronies like. Btw, my mom loves the word adorkable.
This’ll be one of my oddest opinions yet, but this might be my least favorite episode visually. A lot of the new things they try out in this episode animation wise just look odd to me, such as the CG Elements of Harmony or the night and day sky or the freakier Nightmare Moon. I do however love the moment after the first flashback where Twilight’s eyes take a moment to re-adjust. An absolutely wonderful touch.
We get a nice character moment involving Celestia showing more emotion and heart than usual, a rare treat, and then a vine manages to overwhelm the most powerful pony in the world and drag her all the way to the Tree of Harmony . . . Somehow. I don’t get it.
We get a flashback of Celestia banishing Nightmare Moon, and it is nice to be able to see this for the first time. Some flashy lasers lead up to the actual banishing, and the music here often gives me the good shivers. I just don’t like the dialogue in this scene though, particularly from Nightmare Moon. It feels like generic Saturday morning action cartoon stuff.
Then we’re introduced to the Tree of Harmony, which is the most baffling thing in the entire series imo. Not upsetting. Baffling. Two different things. Apparently one of the most powerful forces in the whole world was just sitting in the Everfree Forest all this time without anypony knowing about it. Celestia never told Twilight. “The tree of harmony?” It was never noticed or put into any books, I suppose. Four seasons in, we now learn that the Tree of Harmony was where Celestia and Luna obtained the Elements of Harmony. Moreso, it appears to be somewhat sentient or linked to destiny or something, granting the mane six the rainbow power, the castle, and the map in reward for learning about the magic of friendship as well as spreading it. This tree is fucking weird. I wouldn’t be shocked if I learned this Tree literally gave birth to the first ponies, or to Celestia and Luna. The Tree seems to be at the center of everything. And yet it was just sitting there. And nopony let Twilight in on it. Very strange. I was annoyed by the Tree of Harmony at first, but Twilight’s Kingdom and The Cutie Map helped it grow on me. I wouldn’t mind if season 6 shed a little more light on it.
Another thing that grew on me over time was the keys. When the key hunt began in this episode, I didn’t like the sound of it. It sounded too much like a video game (not to knock video games, Persona 3 and Silent Hill 2 are my bae). But I ended up finding it a nice overarching plot culminating in an awesome finale.
The tone has shifted a bit over the course of the series, but I’d say the biggest tone shift occurred between seasons 3 and 4. Princess Twilight Sparkle immediately feels different. It has some stark moments dealing with the idea of death that I was impressed by, such as Twilight sobbing over what she presumes is Celestia’s dead body, or Applejack expressing her worries over what would happen if Twilight died. On that latter scene though, I’m not sure why Twilight starts crying when the others ask her to return to Ponyville. They’re not being mean; they’re looking out for the world. It doesn’t take long for Twilight to go running back into the forest though, which is part of why the pacing feels a bit janky to me. It’s also a bit weird to me that Applejack needed to be reminded that it’s the friendship that holds them together, not the Elements of Harmony. I’m not sure exactly how she got confused, or why it had to be Applejack who felt that way.
The one thing I truly adore about this episode is Discord. If what I’ve written above makes it sound like I dislike this episode, Discord is enough to pretty much negate all of it. His half-reformed status is written beautifully here. I still probably like his appearance in The Return of Harmony more, but only because he gets so much more screen time there. His “Winter Wrap Up” intro is my favorite joke of the season. Everything he says has that perfect hammy sarcastic wit. The reveal that Discord was behind the vines was a jaw dropper, and his reasoning that he manipulated Twilight in order for her to learn a moral is one of the most awesomely backwards acts of kindness I’ve ever seen. I could quote him almost note for note and go “this is great” “and that’s great” “and that’s great”. It’s all gold to me. I like the way he toes the line between helping the mane six out and being a nuisance. I wonder if he would have explained about the seeds immediately if the mane six had been more trustworthy towards him. The relationship between the mane six and Discord in season 4 is sometimes vague, but often interesting to consider.
The last thing of interest is the Everfree Forest, which seems a lot less dangerous once the Elements of Harmony are back in the tree. Perhaps the removal of the Elements is what led to the forest becoming dangerous in the first place. Food for thought.

82. Bats! (Season 4, Episode 7)
Speaking of episodes that feel different from the first three seasons…
Bats is my pick for weirdest episode. It gave me a huge WTF vibe the first time I saw it and really threw me in for a loop. I just had no idea what to think. And I suppose in a way I still don’t cause here we are in the neutral zone.
I like the song, first off. It’s interesting to see a debate between two characters for whom we haven’t had a ton of interaction. Both characters explain their views well, and the visuals match up to the way their feeling, with the brightness and look of the bats changing. I also like the double moral, particularly Fluttershy’s lesson about not giving into peer pressure, which she seems to follow in Filli Vanilli. This episode certainly has its own vibe. It’s not the show’s only Halloween episode, but it feels a lot more Halloween to me than Luna Eclipsed or Scare Master.
So, Fluttershy turns into a bat, and it breaks my brain a bit. Really, really, really weird stuff. It’s a fun idea, and the sequence is soaked in atmosphere, but I don’t like much of the dialogue in the episode’s second half, and I don’t believe for a moment that Flutterbat is any kind of threat to non-apples, so the running around gets a bit tedious. There are some nice visual moments though, like Pinkie’s very impressive hair and flashlight signal, the gems underground, the white bats that fly out of Fluttershy, and that weird moment where Fluttershy is just stunned looking at herself in the mirror (I don’t really get what the heck is happening here since she doesn’t appear to be using the stare on herself, but it looks neat).
So, is it just me or is the story a little bit broken? Fluttershy argues that giving the bats a sanctuary will make Applejack’s orchards stronger in the long run. Applejack argues that while the sanctuary is being built, so much of the apples will be destroyed that there won’t be any cider. At the end of the episode they build the sanctuary. There’s still going to be cider. I guess that they didn’t give the bats their want to suck apple juice back until after they built the sanctuary, and we’re supposed to assume that the bats and Flutterbat didn’t destroy that many apples before they began work on the sanctuary, but it sure feels like they did. I feel like this episode requires a huge suspension of disbelief in order to function, and I don’t really love Flutterbut enough for that. It feels like Applejack only builds the sanctuary because her way arbitrarily led to Flutterbat and she just kind of automatically switched gears because it upset her, or something. “I just want my friend back.” The song and morals and visuals are enough that I don’t dislike Bats, even if it hurts my brain to think about it. I at least like the callbacks to the episode we get in Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep and Scare Master.

81. Pinkie Apple Pie (Season 4, Episode 9)
Haven’t spent much time dwelling on this one. It’s a bit overshadowed by coming right after Rarity Takes Manehattan, my favorite season 4 episode, and right before Rainbow Falls, the first episode I had disliked since MMMystery on the Friendship Express.
It’s one of the funnier episodes. Granny Smith not realizing she’s wearing what she’s looking for is a good gag, and well acted. The scariest cave in Equestria also got a good chuckle out of me, as well as Pinkie’s waterfall photos. It’s pretty endearing how Pinkie’s just not phased by anything. I was in agreement with a lot of the complaints people had about season 4 Pinkie, but she’s not obnoxious here because she’s not directly causing a lot of the problems on the road trip, and she’s just so darn positive. The song is a bit hokey for me, but damn is it ever catchy, and I do like Pinkie’s section a lot, but the animation looks more janky than usual, especially for that dance in front of the cart, and Pinkie’s strange bounce.
I can’t relate to Applejack’s concerns in this episode at all, and in fact it made me worry that I might dislike Applejack a little, though going back to some older episodes where she’s more positive and adventurous feeling dissuaded those concerns. The way the episode presents some things just isn’t my style, like when the Apple family is being introduced early in the episode, and they’re physically doing things that show off their personality, it feels over the top to me. This is an extremely unfairly vague complaint, but this episode feels more PBS Kids to me than any other. Please don’t ask me to explain that, because I have to idea what I mean by it.
I look back on the humor fondly. Maybe someday this episode will move up.

80. Princess Spike (Season 5, Episode 10)
This might be the shortest description of all. If I was forced to magically remove an episode so that it was like it never existed, I’d pick this one. I don’t like or dislike this episode because there’s nothing here to like or dislike. Twenty minutes of colors and sound and then it’s over. The story here is just a mishmash of other Spike stories. Even in Just For Sidekicks I was like “Oh, the greedy thing again?” and in Power Ponies I was like “Oh, the not liking his role, feeling out of place thing again?” and feeling like Spike could use some new stories. They say making no impression is worse than making a bad impression. It feels like there’s a lot of season 4 and 5 episodes around this area of the list, and a lot of season 1 episodes at the bottom of the list, yet I like season 1 more than 4 or 5, so maybe that’s right. Or maybe I just had really low expectations going into season 1.
I like the Fargo pony and that lots of ponies are going to Princess Twilight for aid. I don’t like that the episode is predictable. That’s all the opinion I have. I’ve re-watched every episode of the first four seasons, and most of the season five episodes. This is the only episode I seriously don’t plan on re-watching.

Like (79-19)
Pony pony pony pony pony pony pony pony pony pony pony pony.

79. The One Where Pinkie Pie Knows (Season 5, Episode 19)
Cadence and Shining Armor are having a baby! It makes perfect since, and was something I was kind of hoping for, but not especially expecting. We’ve seen pictures of the little thing, and she’s preeeeeeety cute! And that’s coming from someone who does not find babies cute. I like Cadence and Shining Armor. Have ever since A Canterlot Wedding. Shining’s a cool bro and Cadence is really nice and pretty. I just kind of wish they would DO more with the two of them, and maybe this babby is the spark that will ignite an interesting story with the two of them. I want more than just my semi-non-canon comic! Shining does get a pretty cute moment when he jazzes all over the room Twilight set up for him. It’s also awful sweet the way Twilight is moved by the notion of being an aunt.
This is a pretty simple episode that probably wouldn’t be in the like section if the idea of the babby didn’t excite me. I’m sure I’ll re-watch it eventually, but probably only the one time. I don’t start enjoying Pinkie’s antics until towards the end when she’s shoving everypony from destination to destination, which I found kind of funny. “So, I know the bar is set pretty high, but does anypony else thing that Pinkie Pie was acting weirder than usual?” was a pretty great line.
I understand having a lighter, smaller episode after the big kaboom that was Crusaders of the Lost Mark. Expected it really. Heck, what did they give us after Slice of Life? Princess Spike. I guess the creators know how to pace themselves.

78. Three’s a Crowd (Season 4, Episode 11)
The One Where Discord Does Some Stuff or Something. Remember me talking about no impact versus bad impact? This was the episode that really got me thinking about it. I found this episode to be the most filler of the series until Princess Spike came along, and I thought that maybe with a re-watch it might drop into neutral or dislike. But it didn’t. I do enjoy the darn thing.
First, there’s two moments that make me laugh out loud, which I think I’ve mentioned isn’t super easy to do. First is John De Lancie’s fantastic line read of “Inadequate hoof and claw washing.” I knew he was lying, but it’s so deadpan that it almost feels believable. The second is that wonderful friendship necklace, in which of course Discord’s thumbs up covers part of Twilight’s face. Hilarious. The song’s a bit manic for me, but it’s so stuffed with things that I found myself watching it a bunch. Discord keeps things visually interesting, and if that weren’t enough there’s a battle with a big worm monster that probably made some three year old girls pee themselves. Cadence is here, and I would’ve liked her to show more personality, but I’ll take any appearance over no appearance.
I don’t really know what’s going through Discord’s head in this episode. It’s like there was no script and the director whispered in Discord’s ear “Just do stuff. We’re exhausted from Pinkie Pride.” Does he want Twilight to like him, or does he just want to mess with her and make her miserable? Maybe he’s confused and doesn’t know what he wants, which is the impression I got from Twilight’s Kingdom the first time I saw it, but he seems so smug and confidant about SOMETHING in this episode, and he seems unhappy when Twilight’s day isn’t ruined, and Twilight learns . . . SOMETHING. It all works out because being messed with by Discord is less boring to Cadence than overseeing an empire. . . . *shrug* As much as this show is all about clearly explaining things to little girls, Discord’s head is a vague place sometimes.
It’s nice that we get foreshadowing for the breezies episode. Continuity makes my dick wet. The episode sure takes its time getting off the ground though, and it’s weird hearing that phrase “the fate of Equestria hanging in the balance” from The Crystal Empire again. It’s not exactly an everyday thing to say.
Three’s a Crowd has enough visual splendor and hamminess to pass the time for me.

77. Dragon Quest (Season 2, Episode 21)
I call this the most forgettable episode. Even though I’ve seen it multiple times, I struggle to remember much. After the first time I saw it, I forgot all about the phoenixes and Peewee. That chase sequence towards the end is pretty cool looking. And, umm, dragons are cool. And that shitty dragon costume is funny, especially since it actually looks like one of the ponies. That moment where the generic teen bullies want Spike to smash the egg is kind of dark. And . . . Ummmm . . . Yeah, and I thought Princess Spike would be the shortest one.
I suppose the personal conflict with Spike being a dragon living among ponies needed to be addressed, so I’m glad that happened.

76. Hearthbreakers (Season 5, Episode 20)
Here’s a season 5 episode I could stand to give a re-watch. It was weird that this Christmas episode came right before the Halloween episode. Well, sort of. Scare Master was leaked.
It was a real nice idea to have us get to know Pinkie’s family better, especially after what a success Maud Pie was. Now we know what Pinkie’s sisters from way back in The Cutie Mark Chronicles are like. Also, PINKIE’S A TWIN!? Can you imagine how that birth went? There’s a pony that looks just like the rest of the family, and then BAM, a bright pink pony explodes out of the vagina in a wave of confetti. …Or something less graphic.
This is an episode where I kind of wish there wasn’t a conflict, or perhaps just less conflict. I don’t find Applejack messing things up and melodramatically shouting “Stop the train!” as fun as getting to know the Pie family and seeing them interact with the Apples. I also could have done without the repeating jokes from previous episodes and re-explaining the story from Hearth’s Warming Eve. But it’s all worth it for Big Mac and Marble’s cute crushing, or Limestone’s admirable assertiveness, or Granny’s apple farming hunks line, the old dog, or just more Maud. A more laid back version of this episode might’ve landed higher on the list, but as it stands, I appreciate what it adds to the series.

75. The Show Stoppers (Season 1, Episode 18)
So, here’s what I originally had typed out for this episode:
“The Show Stoppers is more unpopular than the three episodes in my Hate category. I actually wonder if it’s the most unpopular season one episode. Feeling Pinkie Keen seems to have more fans. I don’t hear much good about Owls Well That Ends Well though.
The episode starts with the Crusaders getting their clubhouse, which is nice in retrospect considering how much use it gets down the line. The episode lets us know what talents the three girls have. It’s odd how Sweetie Belle’s singing quality varies a lot across episodes. From what the commentary says, her actress is the only one who doesn’t like singing. Maybe that has something to do with it. The girls aren’t smart enough to figure out what they’re good at, which is fairly aggravating, and they don’t have a ton of individual personality to back it up. This was the first episode about all three crusaders throughout, and past this point, I would groan whenever I saw them on screen all together (until late season 2, but we’ll get to that).
One thing I like about this show, particularly early on, is its slow, steady pacing. It doesn’t feel like it has to be sugar high and constantly jangling keys because it’s a kids show, which adds to the down to earth, romanticized feeling of the series. But The Show Stoppers feels a bit too slow and simple. The montage feels like it takes forever. I know the girls aren’t going to get their marks, so it’s just a bit of a drag.
Like You’ve Gotta Share, You’ve Gotta Care, the song is supposed to be bad, and again I find it annoying, but not as much. It is a bit funny just how much of an over the top clusterfuck it is. The girls don’t learn a darn thing, which at the time really bugged me, since it made it feel like my time was wasted, unlike the other episodes I’d disliked up to that point. I do suppose it’s more realistic though. They ARE children.
This episode used to be in my Hate section, but it’s gotten a bit more endearing looking back after Crusaders of the Lost Mark. I’m not sure any characters developed as much as the Crusaders. Less than two years have passed since the pilot (I assume, since the first three seasons are one year) yet it feels like the girls have grown up immensely. These once annoying kids have come a long, long way.”
I had this episode down at 108th place. Then I realized it had been a very long time since I’d seen it and decided on a re-watch, and it jumped to 75th. Amazing what just one more viewing will do. Like I was saying towards the end there, this episode really has gotten more endearing for me now that the Crusaders have gotten their marks. Seeing them act like dunderheads is a lot less aggravating now that I know it won’t last. Watching these three kids act so young and so innocent knowing they’ll grow up gives me the feels a little bit. Noticing a couple bits of music was nice too, like the one from the performance in Sonic Rainboom, or the same triumphant notes that later play when Babs Seed joins the Crusaders. It’s also pointed out how some of the things the Crusaders are good at aren’t what they want to do, so it makes sense that they wouldn’t get cutie marks for it, and less aggravating that they don’t play to their strengths in the competition.
So, that’s one more episode I can’t say I dislike anymore. Yay.

74. Boast Busters (Season 1, Episode 6)
Insert Seth joke here.
Boast Busters is interesting in terms of fan reaction. It’s often called one of the worst episodes of season one or even the series, but Trixie has gone on to become quite a popular character, with buckets of fan service in Equestria Girls and everything. Actually, some people dislike this episode BECAUSE they like Trixie and feel like she was treated unfairly by Ponyville. Other people dislike it because they found Trixie annoying, but that feels less common now than it used to be.
Do I find Trixie annoying? Yes. Do I feel like she was treated unfairly? Yes. So, why do I like this episode? Because those problems kinda sorta cancel each other out for me. I don’t mind that Trixie is annoying because she’s heckled and run out of town. I don’t mind that Trixie is heckled and run out of town because she’s annoying. I wonder if this is how the episode was SUPPOSED to work for people. If so, it wasn’t the strongest basis for building a fan favorite. But, I imagine some people like it because they just love Trixie and ignore everything else. But they could just watch Magic Duel for that. Yeah, I can see how this is sometimes considered one of the worst episodes even if I don’t take the annoying Snips and Snails into account. I certainly prefer S and S when the show is poking fun at them like in Flight to the Finish and Rainbow Rocks. Unlike Spike, they’re butt monkeys that are used sparingly and not taken seriously. But even here, Snips and Snails are SUPPOSED to be stupid and I like that they’re diehard fans of Trixie. So, if I don’t have a problem with all of the elements of Boast Busters that people usually have problems with, is there anything I really don’t like about the episode? Yep. It’s the way the magic show plays out. The mane six perform incredible feats, and then instead of performing incredible feats herself, Trixie just messes up what the mane six are doing, and the show treats it like Trixie has won. I don’t see it that way. What Trixie did was like walking up to a juggler, knocking the balls out of his hands, and proclaiming themself a great juggler. Don’t think that’s how it works. Also, the thing at the end with the mustaches is pretty dumb.
Anyway, I said I like this episode. I find Twilight’s problem interesting. I can empathize with someone who doesn’t want to look like a show off, and considering how the magic show goes, I can see why she’d feel that way. She’s really just using it as an excuse to not put herself out there and potentially embarrass herself when she could be doing great good, but as someone who’s frequently self conscious, I totally get it. It’s also nice to see Twilight exhibit such raw power at the end, the Ursa Minor looks cool, the gag with Spike slamming the magic door isn’t bad, and Twilight’s talk of special talents is a nice early episode world building thingie. Plus, I just like stage magic, and this episode has a good feel of Ponyville, back in the early episodes where everything is super down to earth, and it makes for a nice vibe.
“Showing it off like a school filly with fancy new ribbons” might be my favorite Applejack countryism, that or the marching band one.

73. Scare Master (Season 5, Episode 21)
Some people complain that Fluttershy episodes all feel the same, and I didn’t get that vibe until Scare Master, where I was like “Yeah, I kinda feel like I’ve seen this before.” But I do like it.
First off, I adore the early scene with Granny Smith. She’s so over the top in giving that big creepy speech to Fluttershy that it puts a dumb smile on my face. It’s so unnecessarily cruel. Also, Twilight’s castle looks friggin’ baws at night. Wonderful lighting.
The episode has a an excuse in giving us the same old Fluttershy episode and dropping her confidence back down to zero. Nightmare Night. It’s an excuse that only works once, but it works. Fluttershy’s paranoia is annoying and extreme, but that’s the point. The mane six are sweetly doing everything they can to accommodate the girl because they love her, but she’s just ruining the fun, plain and simple. I love the moment where Pinkie Pie slowly slides the candy off the counter. It’s a move that says “I seriously just don’t know what to do with you, honey.”
The tea party scene is a bit weird. It’s interesting that Fluttershy seems to be playing on the others personal fears and personality flaws, like in her silence she’s always observing them. It’s also interesting that it doesn’t work. Maybe it would have in season one when the characters were more unstable.
Fluttershy succeeds in scaring the girls (Granny Smith’s fake head falling off was pretty ballsy for TVY) but finds that she doesn’t enjoy it, which is understandable if a bit disappointing. I’m not sure why she goes back under her bed though. Now that she’s not afraid of Nightmare Night, she could pass out candy or go to a friendly costume party or something. I guess she didn’t want to waste what her animals had set up for her or something.
I do have to point out one little thing that really bugs me. Rarity trips on her outfit, a nice callback to earlier in the episode, and then it’s pointed out that it’s a callback. I know they can’t do show, don’t tell all the time in a kids show, but it just really bothers me here. And if they hadn’t made it obvious, it could have been a nice little connection kids could have picked on as they got older. Re-watch value, oh yeah.
I like Pinkie’s skates ramming her into that wall. Heh heh. Slapstick.
Also, Flutterbat. Continuity. Dick wet. Yay.

72. The Mysterious Mare Do Well (Season 2, Episode 8)
. . .

71. Call of the Cutie (Season 1, Episode 12)
It was almost halfway through season one that we got our first episode starring a Cutie Mark Cru

72. The Mysterious Mare Do Well (Season 2, Episode 8)
Oh, alright then!
I mentioned this back in Boast Busters and with good reason. They’re actually kinda similar. When the episode came out, people complained that Rainbow Dash’s bragging was annoying and disliked the episode for that. Now that seems to have fallen by the wayside, and instead people feel that Rainbow Dash was treated unfairly. Sound familiar? So should this. I find Rainbow’s bragging annoying. I also think she was treated unfairly. These two problems kinda sorta cancel each other out for me. I don’t mind that Rainbow is annoying because she’s punished for it. Do I think that the others should have talked to her about it instead of humiliating her for it? Yes. But I don’t hate the episode for it. I just find it a bit dumb. Sort of like how I find Rainbow patting herself on the back with the arm she was using to hold back the dam and her trying to open a jar with her teeth a bit dumb.
Do I think this is a good episode? Probably not. But if I’m to be honest, I think part of the infamy comes from the fact that Rainbow Dash is one of the, if not the, most popular mane six. The only competition if Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash seems to have the more beloved episodes. This leads to a high level of sympathy towards the character. Of course, it was obvious how popular Rainbow Dash is back in season one days. Perhaps the writers should have anticipated people’s feelings while putting together Mare Do Well.
What I like best about this episode is that I could figure out the ending before it happened by noticing that the Mare Do Well uses both magic and flight. It’s not in your face obvious like Bridal Gossip, but I can use the clues to piece it together. It feels like the right level of predictability for a kids show. I feel the same way about Winter Wrap Up. I also like superhero stuff. Spider-Man for ps1 was my favorite game growing up, Spider-Man 2 for ps2 is one of my favorite games now, The Dark Knight is one of my favorite movies, like with everyone, and Spider-Man 3 is also one of my favorite movies, not so much like everyone. It’s cute that there’s a Rainbow Dash fan club, though it’s sad that Scootaloo jumps on the Mare Do Well bandwagon, especially after seeing Sleepless in Ponyville. I also just find it kinda fun watching Rainbow Dash save lives, and I find the Mare Do Well costume pretty cool looking. The construction scene feels a bit technologically advanced for Equestria, especially back in season 2, and the chase scene at the end feels a bit wonky, but I like more than I don’t like overall.
“I didn’t wanna cross the street to begin with” gets a chuckle out of me.

71. Call of the Cutie (Season 1, Episode 12)
It was almost halfway through season one that we got our first episode starring a Cutie Mark Crusader. Although this episode introduces all three Crusaders, it’s Apple Bloom’s episode through and through, and The Show Stoppers feels like the true beginning of the kids journey to get their marks in my eyes.
I honestly might like the opening scene better than the rest of the episode combined. The paper is blank. THE PAPER IS FUCKING BLANK! It’s so damn cruel; I love it. The rest of the episode is just a lot of impatience and Apple Bloom’s accent, plus the cute little Cupcakes song (with the soft shadow of the infamous fanfic), and Twilight’s failed attempts at magically giving Apple Bloom a cutie mark, proving without a shadow of a doubt to both her and the audience that’s just not how it works.
I find Diamond Tiara interesting in this episode. She seems a lot less evil here than in Ponyville Confidential or Flight to the Finish. More like just a bratty little kid. I guess her mom pushed her harder as time went on.
There’s also Twist.
But that’s enough about Twist.
I’ll always find Apple Bloom’s “I WANT IT NAOW!” rant annoying, and Applejack gives away WAY too many apples to please one customer, but it’s real sweet watching Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo stand up for Apple Bloom. Rainbow Dash’s coach role is fun too. You know, Apple Bloom actually wasn’t doing that bad at the juggling.
And thus the Crusaders were born! Too bad I wouldn’t really like them as a group until Ponyville Confidential.

70. Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep (Season 5, Episode 13)
This one dropped a bit over time. I liked the fanservice but not some of the dialogue, and on a second viewing the dialogue felt more prominent when my jaw wasn’t dropping at the fanservice. But still, dat fanservice doe.
The first scene is totally buttnutz, the most cray cray intro in the series. Holy shit, the mane six are fighting Nightmare Moon! Twist, it’s a dream! Twist, Luna isn’t happy that her dream ended happy! Holy shit, what is going on!!??
It’s a shame most of the mane six dreams aren’t all that interesting. Twilight’s has books, Rarity’s has dresses, you know. I like the idea of the Rainbow Dash one, but the ponies already kind of live in a cutesy world, from our perspective, so the joke doesn’t really work for me. And some of Luna’s emo dialogue and exposition really doesn’t do it for me either. Gotta say doe, I do lurve me Fluttershy’s dream. Easily my favorite moment from her of the season. “It’s so nice to be the pet for once.” Feels like Fluttershy used to get these standout moments more often. Oh well.
The episode really kicks into high gear in the second half. In a season that is often less weird and more down to earth than season 4, here they just throw all the shit at the wall. Sure, bring buff Spike back! We need Flutterbat! America demands Sailor Moon Bic Mac! The world was not a happy place until Filthy Rich was practically bleedin’ gold out of his pores! And god CatDog Lyra and Bon Bon is such a great blend of charming and a bit disturbing. I really like the weird, totally not lesbian relationship the two of them have. It’s just a shame they have to explain that it’s a dream so many times.
Now, I like Luna, but she’s not one of my favorite characters, and I don’t quite get the nuclear explosion of adoration for her in the fandom. Still, I do really feel for her at the end here. She was really so guilt ridden that she felt like she had to punish herself every night. Man…
By the way, does Flutterbat bite that monster house in the crotch? Cause it really seems like she bites that monster house in the crotch.

69. Made in Manehattan (Season 5, Episode 16)
This is my guilty pleasure episode. I see more problems with it than any other episode I like. In fact, the first time I watched it, I didn’t even like it until the ending. It’s a mess, but it’s such an innocent mess, like a cute kid that got cake all over his face. It just doesn’t know what went wrong.
Twilight is bored of reading all her books and has nothing to do. Why are Twilight and Cadence bored? A princess of Equestria should be many things, but bored should not be one of them. Except for maybe Celestia. She’s been doing the princess gig for AGES. But why doesn’t Twilight organize a charity bake sale? Or organize a blood drive? Or put on a magic puppet show? Anything besides nothing.
Twilight wishes she could go to Manehattan just like she wished she could go to Griffonstone. The end of the episode shows that the map was right to not invite Twilight. I only just now typing this fully putting that together somehow. I understood it on a surface level, but not that it gave a point to those previously frustrating scenes of Twilight wishing she could go and not feeling able to. At first, it was annoying seeing a powerful pony down in the dumps over a map. I remember thinking ‘You’re a pony. It’s a slab. Do what you want.’ But I suppose the Tree of Harmony, whatever the hell that is, knows what it’s doing. This show is weird. Well, most if it isn’t weird. But when I get to thinking about the Tree and the alicorns and the way that flying and earth pony strength is magic, it starts to seem a lot weirder.
Rarity and Applejack go to Manehattan. I could have done without the reference to the Generosity song. It seems unnecessary, as this is a new episode that should have its own identity. Applejack has trouble crossing a street even though we didn’t see her have any trouble back in Rarity Takes Manehattan. It takes forever for the clerk to say anything about Rarity stealing one of his customers. I do like seeing another example of Rarity’s generosity, and as someone who considers A Boy Named Charlie Brown one of his top five favorite movies, I approve of the Lucy reference.
“If we can ever get off this street corner…” Oh. My. God. That is our dramatic act break. I mean, it was one thing when everypony gasped melodramatically at Big Mac losing his voice in Filli Vanilli, but this is ridiculous. I declare it the single stupidest line in the entire series. It’s like something out of Zombie Simpsons. But I kind of like how bad it is. The thought of someone writing that down and not seeing any reason to change it makes me smile. I have sort of an “oh, you” reaction to this episode sometimes. The higher ups must have been really pushing the dramatic act breaks to keep viewers hooked, because they seemed more forced starting season 4.
By the way, we’re only just now getting to the friendship problem. Another thing I don’t like as much about seasons 4 and 5 as the first three is that it feels like it takes longer for some episodes to get off the ground, probably because the pacing is faster but sometimes the episodes are no more complicated than in the old days.
So, Coco Pommel’s back. She’s cute I guess. Really, it could’ve been any nice pony as far as I care. You’ll find as we dive into the top ten that I love love love Rarity Takes Manehattan, but Coco’s not one of the big reasons why. The internet just loves its moe I guess. I prefer Moe Szyslak, but I grew up watching The Simpsons. Where was I?
Charity Kindheart’s a pretty on the nose name even for a little pony, but I like the scene with the photo album. It’s just … nice. The buildings of Manehattan at night are pretty, and the way that Coco is sitting at the very start of the scene is quite endearing. Plus there’s snacks and tea. It’s just nice.
We get a couple mentions of moons, and not for the first time. We’re never told if that’s days or months or what. I wonder if the writers keep it vague on purpose, like if they aren’t sure if sticking in a specific time would break continuity, they just say moons and it’s fine. Little tricks like that are likely more important than we realize.
“Hey, I’m trotting here!” Offffff course.
I don’t laugh out loud at the lazy pony drifting off in the river, but I do get a small smile. It’s part of that guilty pleasure feel. This was their A game humor. The moment when Applejack’s hat breaks the bench gets a chuckle out of me though.
Okay, so it’s a bit silly that they describe building a stage and putting on a play as simple, but I still really like this ending. I find it quite clever and sweet. The moral is all about doing what you can even when you only have so much you can dedicate. If you do what you can, things will work out in the end. That’s not always true, but this is an optimistic show, and I love that it’s an optimistic show. It’s made me a happier guy with a brighter outlook on life. This ending makes me feel inspired to work and spend my time wisely. The play doesn’t seem all that good, but that’s not the point. It’s sweet that ponies have nostalgia for it. It’s dumb that the stage is right in front of the road, but it’s sweet that ponies just stop what they’re doing and just sit down to watch. The episode is rewarding Applejack and Rarity for doing the best they could with what they had. I like this version of the “do your best, everyone’s contribution matters” moral than the one in Hurricane Fluttershy. It’s just perfect for a big city setting like Manehattan where everyone’s busy and caught up in their own business. Really, it just makes my heart swell a bit, this idea that if everyone makes a small contribution, it’ll add up.
I also like that this episode overlaps with Brotherhooves social, and the taped on cutie marks in the play was a nice touch, and I like the country acoustics in the end credits.

68. The Mane Attraction (Season 5, Episode 24)
I hate celebrities. Well, that’s not true. Maybe it was true in my more cynical pre-brony days, but it’s not true now. I don’t get celebrities. Fiction is my life. I get characters. I don’t get obsessing over the people behind the characters. I get songs . . . Occasionally (the amount of music I like is small), but I don’t get obsessing over the people behind the songs. They’re just people you’ve never met living in some other state. Modeling’s a good way to see how a dress looks on a person and not just a mannequin, but how a model gets famous I don’t even wanna know.
I hate music videos, and I think I do mean that. In a sense, I’m the sort of person this episode was aimed at. I’m Applejack in this episode, seeing a young, sweet girl getting turned into a flashy, shallow celebrity as a tragedy and a sign of everything wrong with society. Applejack is very Hank Hill in this episode, maybe even more than in Leap of Faith, and it’s not such a bad thing. I enjoy hating The Spectacle. It’s everything I don’t like about music videos shoved together (minus the sexuality . . . Actually, maybe not), but that’s okay because I feel like I’m not supposed to like it. Same goes for RaRa’s manager Svengallop. He’s a total ass and I hate him, but I’m supposed to hate him so I enjoy it. Besides, his voice acting is excellent.
I like Pinkie’s cart full of things from various parts of Equestria. It’s a nice continuity touch.
“You wrote to Coluratura … about ME!?” It’s cute how much the kids love her.
Don’t know where to stick this, but Camp Friendship is a really on the nose name. Starting in season 4 and especially season 5, friendship seemed to go from being an element of Equestria to the central focus. But hey, point of the show I guess. Since the mane six no longer write those friendship letters or even those journal entries (for some reason), the writers have to compensate in other areas. I’m real curious about that line in The Cutie Re-Mark about how important the mane six’s friendship is to the world.
Equestria, the Land I Love is pretty I guess. The Magic Inside is pretty I guess. It’s not really my kind of singing. The piano playing on Magic is cool, and I like that they kept in her little mistakes because the point is how raw and honest it is. I have no idea how she’s playing that piano with her hooves though, and I don’t love the writing in the song. Really, I find the episode’s end stretch a bit cheesy. The themes are bluntly stated multiple times, and the ending comes across a bit too perfect. Of course they sing that anthem again, and they get the kids on stage, and the triangle pops up again. And of course Applejack tears up during The Magic Inside, and Rara is in full on tears, and . . . You know, I really like that this show has feels and hugs and tears and all that, but sometimes it’s just an eensy weensy bit much, especially in season 5. It’s like the writers realized they can give bronies the feels and got just a bit power hungry. Still, I like the episode for that middle stretch. The conflict between Applejack and Rara and Svengallop is interesting.

67. Too Many Pinkie Pies (Season 3, Episode 3)
When I saw the title, and envisioned the extreme wackiness and possible stupidity that might ensue, I knew this episode wasn’t going to be a big favorite of mine, but I enjoyed it more than I’d feared.
The episode was certainly memorable. I’ll never forget the mirror pond or the frog orange (the callback to which is quite funny) or the G3 face. I like that the clones represent Pinkie if she were a poorly written one dimensional character. They remind me a bit of Gilda or Lightning Dust actually, a bad reflection of one of our heroes. Despite that, many point out the horror of so many sentient creatures getting destroyed. I hadn’t thought of it like that until it was pointed out. I suppose they could have joined a traveling circus or something.
I like that once the clones have become a major problem, everpony turns to Twilight for help, signaling how important she’s become to the town by that point.
The deus ex machina hidden book Spike finds is such a weird and unnecessary little thing. Why didn’t Twilight find that before?
Pinkie bugs me a bit early in the episode with her over the top panic, but the concept of her feeling lost amidst all the clones and not feeling sure that she’s her anymore is a really unexpected and unique concept I’ve never seen done in a story like this before. The paint dry challenge is an interesting mind game to weed out the real Pinkie. Whoever cares about other ponies is the real Pinkie Pie. Though it feels like the real one could have very easily died from all the distractions. Luckily she didn’t . . . Right?
Also, Pinkie finds the idea of a barn raising fun. Okie Dokie.

66. Hearth’s Warming Eve (Season 2, Episode 11)
You’d think that arguably the most unique episode of the series would be a love it or hate it thing, but I’ve got it here at the lower middle and I don’t think that’s an odd opinion.
Let’s start with quotes, cause the main thing I took away from this episode was two similar lines that I love:
“I can see my future house from here.”
“You see this invisible line?”
Clever stuff.
It’s been pointed out that Family Appreciation Day right after this contradicts this episode in terms of the founding of Ponyville, but that’s fine, because this story feels like a myth crafted to scare children straight anyhow. Either that or Granny Smith’s gotten so senile that everything she remembers about her childhood is wrong, but I prefer to believe the former, especially since I like Family Appreciation Day more.
So, the mane six basically play themselves. Might have been more interesting if they didn‘t, but I suppose the writers were worried that would have gotten confusing. I find the story of the race conflict between earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi interesting enough. Makes sense they would have been in conflict at some point. Also makes sense they’re eventually united under alicorn leaders crafted from a combination of all three races.
Pretty quirky that the fires of friendship are forged through ponies complaining about other ponies. Hey, common ground.

65. Swarm of the Century (Season 1, Episode 10)
I love a show that can meld fantasy or sci-fi with characterization. I love characters. I have a list of over two hundred favorite characters (Maruo Eichiro from Baby Steps is number 1 if you’re curious). But I don’t want to feel like I’m just watching reality (there are exceptions, like The Shawhank Redemption). I’m not a fan of Law and Order or Breaking Bad and such. If I wanted real stuff I’d have a life.
The parasprites spark a conflict which leads to a character based solution and moral. Basic stuff, but it works. A feeling I got watching through season one was that the show was very well constructed. The stories, even the ones I didn’t like, felt like they were built on a very solid base, and it’s one reason that season one is my 2nd favorite season despite all the episodes at the bottom of this list. This show in general has a more than the sum of its parts feeling to me, but that’s especially true with the first season. Perhaps it’s because the stories are simpler and the tone more consistent. Even with the adventure episode at the start, season one feels like one big block with the same wonderful, simple, down to earth, humble tone running through it. That, alongside my low expectations going into the series, and the fact that (spoiler alert) the season one finale is my favorite episode, is why I loved the season so much overall even though I disliked eight of the last ten episodes (now seven, with the big push upward that The Show Stoppers got). Season two retained much of this feeling (though not all of it), and the consistency with which I enjoyed episodes got much better, so season two is my favorite (2 > 1 > 3 > 4 > 5).
I stick this rant here because I don’t have a whole lot to say about the episode itself. It has a story, but really it just feels like watching stuff happen, and I don’t mean that in a bad way. I mean that it feels very natural, like the episode wasn’t constructed by man and is just kind of there. It has believability, which is a completely different thing from realism. I find season one, more than any other season, feels very natural and not forced. Starting season 4, the dialogue became more bluntly expositional, and I felt as though I could see the writers much more, which might be the number one reason why I like season 4 less than the first three seasons.
I like the problem with the parasprites, I like the way Twilight’s spell backfires, I like Twilight’s little mental breakdown, I like the various ways the mane six try to deal with the parasprites, and I like Pinkie’s musical solution. You can see why I needed that rant. I don’t have much to say about what I like here.
The thing I don’t like is that Pinkie’s solution wouldn’t have been necessary if it hadn’t been for Pinkie messing up the tornado, which seemed to be working fine. Also, Fluttershy sure is dumb for keeping one of the parasprites, though I’ve long accepted that she’s not the brightest bulb.
“They’re eating the words!” WTF.

64. Slice of Life (Season 5, Episode 9)
One hundred episodes! Pretty impressive considering when they made Magical Mystery Cure, they thought it might be the series finale.
So, this episode really wasn’t made for me. I’ve only seen it once and knowing where to rank it was difficult. Derpy is cute and I like Lyra in Background Pony, but I don’t have a huge attachment to the backgrond ponies. It’s a really interesting novelty and love letter for the fans. I just recently got back into Doctor Who and started watching a bunch of the David Tennent era, so maybe I’d appreciate that segment of the episode more this time. “Muffin?” Yeah, Derpy’s cute. The Big Lebowski part felt a bit much for something only originally designed to be a small visual gag. That said, I was somewhat surprised and impressed by some of the choices. Lyra and Vinyl Scratch are obvious, but Stephen Magnet? It was actually really interesting seeing him again, and in a much less irritating capacity as well. Didn’t expect Gummy either. I didn’t laugh at his gag because I feel like I’ve seen the joke a bunch before, but it was a great idea. Reminds me of Gary’s dream on Spongebob. I do like the gag with the townsponies reacting to the mane six. Again, reminds me of Spongebob: “I give it eleven minutes.” I’m not so hot on Vinyl and Octavia’s segment or the insane climax. It’s just a bit overkill for me.
The part I’ll always remember fondly is Lyra and Bon Bon. I remember the piano scene in Rainbow Rocks where they’re looking like they can’t wait to rip each others clothes off. I remember thinking “That HAS to be on purpose.” And it only got more obvious in Slice of Life and the Friendship Games shorts. They’re just so wonderfully corny and stupid. When I was an older kid I didn’t like it when I noticed adult stuff slipped into kids shows. Even if I didn’t get the joke, I could tell they were doing it, and it felt sneaky and awkward. Now that I actually am an adult though, I sometimes have an appreciation for such things, and the situation with Lyra and Bon Bon being “best friends” (wink, nudge) is super clever imo.
Also, Bon Bon is a secret agent. Didn’t see that coming. I like it better than Derpy liking muffins, Doctor Whooves being the Doctor, Viynl and Octavia doing their thing, etc. because it’s less obvious. Instead of repeating the fandom, it’s adding to the fandom. Usually Lyra’s the weird, interesting one, but nope. Bon Bon’s a secret agent, and that’s canon.

63. Amending Fences (Season 5, Episode 12)
Finally, Twilight’s first non-premiere or finale episode since It’s About Time.
I was really worried about this episode at first. Twilight talks about the ponies she knew in Canterlot as friends, when she explicitly stated in A Canterlot Wedding that Shining Armor was her only friend until the rest of the mane six. I grew to understand that her view on things had simply changed after she became the Princess of Friendship, but a skosh more clarity would have been nice.
I really like Minuette and her friends because they’re normal. No OCD, countryisms, boasting, randomness, melodrama, or insecurity. Just nice, friendly, bubbly pony girls who like to hang out and eat and look on the past, not with heavy nostalgia, but just for fun. The voice acting on the three girls is great. Minuette’s introduction in particular is just charming. When she asked Twilight to fluff out her wings, I really thought the episode was headed towards Minuette and her friends wanting a slice of Twilight’s status as Princess, but that’s not what the episode had on its mind.
I just adore Twilight’s apology scene. In Minuette and Pals happy go lucky world, such melodrama is unnecessary and silly. Their “oh, come on” reaction couldn’t have been better. And a bit later, Lemonheart’s “let’s go see” is one of the most happy, optimistic, pony little lines in the entire series.
Just now re-watched the episode, in the middle of writing this, and it jumped up about ten places. The story with Moondancer was more heartwarming this time. The first time I saw the episode, I found Moondancer’s breakdown very cheesy. It felt too big considering all that happened was a friend not coming to a party, and it felt off that Minuette and Pals responded to such an embarrassing display with “we’d be honored to be your friend”. The second time I was a bit more understanding. It really is admirable how hard Twilight works to mend her mistake. Pinkie’s involvement is logical and her little jab at Twilight’s title is friggin’ great. Yep, Pinkie’s been doing this friendship thing a lot longer than you have, Twi. That said, the idea of Pinkie with alicorn power is frightening. I’d forgotten about that picture at the end, or Moondancer going outside to play with her friends. That combination gave me the feels a bit. Twilight really did some much needed breaking down of walls, didn’t she.
Also, that book spell is hella cool.

62. Green Isn’t Your Color (Season 1, Episode 20)
I’ve hinted before that I don’t like modeling, and that plus me finding Rarity’s pleading at the start grating as well as Twilight’s over the top exertion in keeping their secret secret means we’re still in the lower half of the list, even though this is a really nice little story. Rookie’s video on Green Isn’t Your Color (it’s great) talks about how Rarity isn’t displayed as evil or wrong for feeling jealous, teaching little girls that it’s okay to have negative emotions, and that’s it’s all about how you deal with them. Jealousy and envy are not things that only villains feel, and much of what makes MLP a great character show is that it lets the main characters show the worst of themselves. “Fluttershy doesn’t forgive Rarity, because there’s nothing to be forgiven for.” That can be a bit stressful or annoying, and some of the episodes at the bottom of my list are there because of that, but the way that this makes the show a bit “challenging” improves it overall in my eyes. I’d take a “challenging” show with some episodes I love and some I hate over a show I like fine in general as dumb fun.
Rarity and Fluttershy have each others best interest at heart. They were being dishonest out of kindness, but learn in the end that they could have saved each other a lot of trouble if they’d just been honest. It’s one of the show’s many examples that being open and honest with your feels and not burying them will work out best in the long run.
Some funny and memorable moments throughout keep things pleasant. Re-watching the episode, I had completely forgotten about Spike’s Rarity heart shirt. Where did he get that lol. The FOREVER gag is legend, and the tiny scream and kick are the sort of nice little gags with Fluttershy the show doesn’t really seem to do anymore.
The idea that Rarity and Fluttershy have a weekly spa get together is really nice and makes it feel as though they have their own type of friendship separate from the rest of the group, similar to Rainbow Dash and Pinkie, Applejack and Rarity, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, and . . . Rainbow Dash and Applejack. They’ve focused a lot on the relationships Rainbow Dash has with individual mane six, come to think of it. There are a lot of interesting pairings that haven’t been explored much as well.

61. The Cutie Map (Season 5, Episode 1-2)
One reason why season 5 is my least favorite season is that the premiere and finale are both around the middle of the list. The season 1, 2, 3, and 4 finales as well as the season 1 and 2 premieres are both in my top 25. I enjoy The Cutie Map, but I like it more in concept than execution.
The Map itself was a really awesome idea, and a great way to milk, ahem, prolong the series. Now any combination of characters can go anywhere in the world and solve any conflict that has anything to do with friendship. Wrap it up in twenty minutes and keep it TVY and you can do pretty much whatever you want. It’s a brilliant concept for evolving the series. A lot of decent shows are sparked by one idea like this. This series doesn’t introduce it until season five. They only go on these adventures when the Map calls them, so in the other episodes, the audience isn’t thinking “Why aren’t they solving a friendship problem in Manehattan or something?” This episode, alongside Crusaders of the Lost Mark, displays that the creators put a lot of thought into how to keep the series from turning to a zombie franchise or jumping the shark. The Simpsons, Spongebob Squarepants, Family Guy, The Fairly Oddparents, etc. There’s a lot of shows telling My Little Pony what not to do.
How do you make a sequel or continue a series? The answer is simple but challenging. Change the right things and keep the right things the same. I believe My Little Pony has been doing that. The show has gotten weirder, darker, wider, more fan servicey. Season 4 focused more on weird Twilight Zone-y stories and season 5 brought a couple super fan service-y episodes and also more episodes about traveling to places in Equestria and helping ponies outside the main six (and it sounds like season six really wants to continue that theme). A bit of the down to earth, slice of life, humble feeling has been lost, but really, what were they supposed to do? Ignore that the show was a big phenomenon with an adult fan base? This show has not been content to do the same thing over and over, nor has it forgotten what made it good in the first place. I appreciate that so much, and honestly did not expect the show to still be so good in its fifth season. It’s really quite impressive considering the show was not initially designed to go on for so long. When I say that season 5 is my least favorite season, I don’t mean that as a harsh criticism. When I say that seasons 15 and 16 are my least favorite Simpsons seasons, I mean to say that I have bad memories of seasons 15 and 16 of The Simpsons the same way I have bad memories of getting beaten up in middle school. Yeah.
Of course, 15 is a lot more than 5, and I don’t think I even want to see MLP try to go for 15 years. I still liked The Simpsons in season 5. Heck, I still liked it in season 10. (Gave up on it after the first episode of season 17.) Honestly, I would love to see MLP bow out while it’s ahead and not run itself into the ground. I don’t expect it to be the one show that stays really good for a vast amount of time (not counting a decade of Simpsons as vast, though it kind of is). I’d love to see them end on a good season, but no matter what happens, I’ll always remember that I went into season 4 with expectations that were honestly too damn high, and it still impressed me, and then I went into season 5 with not high expectations, and it managed to surprise me. Spongebob was already pissing nerds off at this point. Season 3 of MLP may have gotten some flack, which I still don’t really understand, but the cries of jumping the shark died down during seasons 4 and 5, and that’s a pretty awesome thing. Thank you, season 5.
So, The Cutie Map. The Tree of Harmony grants them this magical harmony destiny friendship glowing butt map thing (I really want to know how conversations among the staff go when talking about this stuff) and off they go to free a cult from Starlight Glimmer. A cult. In My Little Pony. That happened. And I’m kind of impressed. “You can’t have a nightmare if you never dream” is one of my favorite lines in the series. Our Town has a plain, dull look to it, which doesn’t make for the most exciting television, but it does give this episode a different feel than any other. The most intense scene is the removal of the cutie marks which looks painful and is quite freaky. Part two begins with the cutie markless ponies, and I prefer gray ponies and cutie mark swapped ponies, as we’ll get to. There have been points in the series where Fluttershy hasn’t felt like much of a team player to me, so to have her contribute so much on one of their adventures made me happy. The music during the climax is exciting, and having the mane six require the help of others makes for a different sort of climax, and is thematically sound with where the series was going at this point.
I would have liked to see them at lest try to find Starlight in the caves, but having a villain that wasn’t thwarted in one episode was a neat prospect. Really though, it doesn’t feel like the premiere and finale were designed to be the big showstoppers of season 5. Slice of Life and Crusaders of the Lost Mark were, with Amending Fences turning out to be the small scale darling.

60. Sweet and Elite (Season 2, Episode 9)
Sweet and Elite gets right off the ground in the first scene with Rarity in Canterlot. No waiting around or unnecessary exposition. It’s nice to have an episode set in Canterlot now and again, and it applies well to Rarity, the most “Canterlot-esque” of the mane six.
Rarity’s conflict is between making Twilight’s dress or becoming Miss Popularity with the Canterlot elite. Obviously, I care more about Twilight than these snobs, but it’s fun seeing Rarity climb the social ladder and receive praise from such important ponies. I like Fancy Pants. He fits well into the style of the Canterlot snobs yet is a surprisingly nice guy.
Rarity sweetly sticks up for her hometown friends, wrapping up a simple, straightforward, well constructed slice of life narrative. This show’s bread and butter. This might not be one of the series’ most impressive episodes, but if it was someone’s first episode, I imagine they’d have a decent understanding of the type of show they’re watching, and hopefully not be horrified.

59. Baby Cakes (Season 2, Episode 13)
I never plan on having children, and this episode didn’t really give me any reason why I should. I wouldn’t call Baby Cakes a fun episode, but I do respect it. Although things devolve into hyper (and somewhat creepy) antics at the end, most of the episode is just babysitting. Pinkie Pie playing and giving baths and changing diapers (with her mouth, the poor fingerless creature) while doing anything to keep them from crying and breaking her spirit. It’s truly despairing to see her burst into tears at the end of the episode, but it honestly seems quite realistic. I’m sure many a new parent has burst into stressful sobs at some point. But the sweet optimism comes in as the babies cheer Pinkie Pie up. It really is heartwarming when they say her name, and I like seeing Pinkie take on a more mature responsibility.

58. Games Ponies Play (Season 3, Episode 12)
Here we have something of a dumb, filler episode before our big finale. The way the episode crossed paths with Just For Sidekicks was neat but kind of pointless. More than any episode of the series, this episode screams sitcom to me, with its miscommunication and misunderstanding. In fact, the wikia states it’s inspired by a Faulty Towers episode. The first time I watched the episode, I thought the way that Ms. Harshwhinny decided what a great place the Empire was through an “impartial” third party was really cool, but then it was pointed out to me how it makes no sense. Apparently, the writers figured out that it didn’t make sense and would have fixed it if their schedule hadn’t been so tight. I’m glad I have a simple dishwashing job.
With all those negative sounding things out of the way, I had fun with this episode. I like that we have a return to the Crystal Empire within the same season as its introduction. The episode’s predictability isn’t really a bother because it’s just aiming for fun and not for feels or surprises. They keep the silly tone up with Rainbow grabbing random kids and smacking into glass and Pinkie screaming melodramatically.
I like the way the camera just kind of pans off of the little “sunshine, sunshine” dance like “yeah, you’ve seen this before”.
Not an issue, but I’m not sure who the protagonist is in this episode. For a while it feels like it could be either Twilight or Rarity, but then Rainbow Dash seems to claim protagonist-hood right at the end and express the moral.
I like Twilight’s “Pinkie Pie. Honestly.” in response to her friends exuberance. She doesn’t really seem super mad or stressed. Like, she’s getting used to it but still feels like she needs to say something. I also like “Dash, you’ve hardly ever even been here before.” It’s a good point and a good voice of reason moment. I remember thinking at this point that I liked Twilight more as a voice of reason than Applejack.
And that wonderful breathing technique. Not a word of dialogue spoken, just a nice little thing that runs through the episode and helps Twilight learn not to panic in a bad situation. Another important step on her road to becoming Princess Twilight Sparkle. I appreciate callbacks to it after this episode.
The big flashy cheer is quite fabulous looking. One of the series’ dumbest moments has to be at the start when the train stops and Pinkie’s ass is on top of Applejack’s head, not that I mind because the episode has the decency to not have any dialogue directly acknowledging it. You’ve likely figured it out by now, but I often do not use dumb as an insult.
So, What’s Her Name (let’s see… Wikia… it’s Ms. Peachbottom… never would have remembered that) has claustrophobia. At first I thought her antsy-ness was cause she really had to pee or something. They never directly explain that it’s claustrophobia. I bet some of the little girls were confused. Not a problem for me though.
Shining Armor coaching is a good fit for him. I like his disgusted reaction to Ms. Peachbottom’s flirting.
I like the episode, but I don’t see any reason to watch it more than once or twice.

57. Maud Pie (Season 4, Episode 18)
I’m not super hot on the first five minutes of the episode. You know, the part before Maud shows up. I’ve mentioned that I don’t like season 4’s dialogue as much as in the first three seasons. A prime example is: “I think we’re all a little nervous about Maud’s visit. She‘s Pinkie‘s sister, and it‘s obvious Pinkie wants us to hit it off. Being able to make those rock candy necklaces together is really important to her.” One, we already know this. Two, we shouldn’t be bluntly told how the characters feel either way. That’s how the Robot Devil gets upset. Show, don’t tell. A lot of moments like this in season 4 and to a lesser extent season 5 bugged me. It cuts into the wonderful natural feeling this show can have and feels forced.
Anyway, then Maud shows up. There’s this wonderful deadpan humor as she slowly makes her way to the group, not even seeming to realize that what she’s doing is tedious and awkward. She’s steady and unmovable, like a . . . Gosh, what’s the word I’m trying to think of? Hmmm. I’ll figure it out. Maud Pie competes with Pinkie Apple Pie for the season 4 episode I find the funniest. The voice acting for her is excellent. Her dull, unenthused vibe clashes well with the literally and figuratively colorful mane six. She’s also given multiple moments to juxtapose her sister, which I appreciate. I like any time she pops up after this episode, particularly Make New Friends but Keep Discord.
The episode has a very season one or two sense of pacing, as Maud makes her way from mane six character to mane six character and just doesn’t gel with them. By the time we get to the scene at Sugarcube Corner, I buy that the girls tried and simply didn’t click with Maud’s personality. They know Pinkie well by this point, and clearly aren’t enjoying breaking the news to her because they know it’ll hurt her. Rainbow Dash especially seems to really wish this wasn’t happening. The way she’s slumped over that mailbox, hooves blocking her mouth, displays a level of sensitivity we don’t always see from her. I guess she’s truly bonded with Pinkie since Griffon the Brush Off. She’s the only pony who doesn’t contribute to breaking the bad news besides a nod and a “uh huh”. Then Pinkie’s hair partially deflates in a great callback and she cringes a bit. This is a really serious scene. Pinkie’s gotten more mentally stable since Party of One though, and isn’t going to give up before doing something really dumb without thinking. Maud saves the day in style, though it’s a little awkward that she gets to Pinkie while everypony else barely moves. I get that they were stunned, but all of them, including Rainbow Dash, not having a quick reaction feels a tad off.
I like the hug Pinkie and Maud share on the train. They feel really close to each other. When people complain about people taking this show seriously, I think of moments like this and the scene at Sugarcube Corner. This series is heartfelt, and often takes itself seriously. I’d say it has more episodes like this than dumb fun episodes like Games Ponies Play. It’s still a cartoon, sure, but it’s a cartoon with weight and feeling.
The ending, with the girls and Maud “bonding” over their affection for Pinkie, feels like a cop out, but it’s earned. I like the twist that Maud doesn’t actually eat the necklaces, but saves them out of love.
Fluttershy mentioning a spider that appears unappealing but is actually quite charming follows the theme of the episode quite well.
“It tastes like apples” is one of my favorite lines in the series. So very deadpan.

56. The Cutie Re-Mark (Season 5, Episode 25-26)
This finale starts off a bit slow, but it’s a fun ride once it gets going. I like that Twilight is giving a speech to the students at Celestia’s school. Any sign that Twilight becoming a Princess has made her a more important pony is a good thing in my book. It makes me love Magical Mystery Cure even more in retrospect.
Scanning through the episode, man Starlight Glimmer just sitting in the audience glaring at Twilight is actually really fucking creepy now that I’ve paused to look at it.
I like every bit of continuity with The Cutie Mark Chronicles. All this time travel business probably went WAY over the heads of the little girls watching. I think it’s largely paced well, with the speed of the futures ramping up over time.
Twilight and Spike wandering through a somewhat abandoned Ponyville doesn’t quite work for me. I would call MLP: FiM many wonderful things, but atmospheric isn’t one of them, and that’s a scene that needed to be atmospheric for me to fall in love with it. I’m also not a fan of the little fight clouds during Sombra’s war. I suppose they pushed the violence past the point that the Y rating would allow and got cock blocked by the censors. I do like seeing ponies in battle gear, and love the idea of the mane six providing for the war in their own individual ways. The train fumes filling the scene is a wonderful transition. I also appreciate the way Applejack’s skepticism drops over the course of her interaction with Twilight.
Starlight dumps some hardcore exposition, but thankfully it’s lampshaded with an eye roll. I adore the moral ambiguity that comes from the scene with the kids. Twilight’s on the right side, saying the wrong things. And Starlight’s cute little head bob is proper gif fuel.
Twilight talks to Rainbow Dash in the most wonderfully creepy, pedophile way. Doesn’t work somehow.
“All servents of Queen Chrysalis found in these woods must be DESTROYED!” Guess they thought it’d be cool to give Fluttershy such a badass line. For me it kinda takes the punch out of it.
After a nice use of Zecora and a cool swarm of Changelings, back we go. A nifty little laser duel shows that violence isn’t going to save the day. Is Starlight OP? Probably. Do I mind? Nah. The episode wouldn’t work otherwise, and I like the episode.
God DAMN the Castle of the Two Sisters looks cool!
Nightmare Moon’s future is oddly my favorite. Well, second favorite. Not only does it have a nice look to it, but I find NM’s dialogue strangely endearing. “But it is no less a fate than she sentenced me too.” It’s hard not to see her point, and her trapping Spike shows a bit of intelligence on her part. The nonchalant way she dispatches of the timberwolves is quite cool, especially with some of the destruction being off screen, a direction choice that feels unlike any other moment in the series.
The Flim Flam future with the little dice is just perfect, what can I say? I have no idea how they managed to beat all those other baddies, but the very concept is wonderful.
“We could be stuck doing this for all eternity.” Good ol’ fictional characters. Never need to eat or pee when it matters.
The desolate wasteland future is my favorite. It’s just so stark and empty. The look on Starlight’s face says it all. She’s starting to get it, but not quite ready to accept it.
Soooooooooo. That redemption. It’s got some haters. Why aren’t I one of them? Because I saw it coming. The moment in The Cutie Map when Starlight screamed “QUIET!” I said to myself “This is a character who had one bad thing happen to her and blew it waaaaay out of proportion.” And I was right. Did she overreact like crazy? Yeah. What does this teach kids? Don’t overreact like crazy. Seems fitting for an antagonist to be so flawed. Maybe if I’d thought Starlight was really badass in The Cutie Map or something I’d be disappointed, but I didn’t. I thought she was a messed up drama queen, and she’s a messed up drama queen. Why didn’t she try to find the other kid? …I dunno. I’ll admit that part bugs me now that it’s been pointed out to me. “…It tore our friendship apart!” Maybe the other kid didn’t wanna hang out with Starlight anymore once he got his cutie mark. That would’ve been a nice thing to point out. Overall though, when it comes to the lameness of this redemption, I just go “It’s a kids show.” When it comes to the lameness of how parts of the Sombra battle look, I don’t. I guess it’s all down to expectations. When the Sombra battle started, I expected more. When Starlight’s redemption began, I didn’t.
I like that Starlight is talked down instead of blasted with elements or rainbow power or whatever. It’s the most princess-y thing Twilight’s done since getting her wings and it’s about damn time.
“Friendship connects all of Equestria. Undoing one group of friends made its magic less powerful.” What a strange statement. The writing makes it sound like going back in time and undoing any single friendship will lead to the end of the world. I wonder what season 6 will have to say on this stuff, if anything.
Not a big fan of that song. It reminds me of the one from the end of Twilight’s Kingdom, but I found that one less corny, and it was shorter, and it didn’t end with the characters all staring creepily at the screen. In many ways, I wouldn’t have minded if season five had been the last season. I feel as though the series has given me everything I wanted it to give me. The last huge thing I wanted was the Crusaders to get their marks, and that happened, and I’d like to see the series end on a good note, and this season, and this episode, count in my eyes. But I’m also kinda happy that song isn’t the last moment of the series.

55. Dragonshy (Season 1, Episode 7)
Dragonshy begins with a scene between Fluttershy and Angel. I like Angel. Having this bratty, picky kid playing off of Fluttershy was a great idea. He can be a little bitch, but the series gives plenty of moments that display he does care about her. The scene, with Angel’s over the top coughing, leads into the black smoke conflict in a natural way that doesn’t require any awkward exposition.
The next scene is interesting because it could’ve been told from Twilight’s perspective and still work, but since it’s Fluttershy’s episode, it’s told from her perspective. The way Twilight takes charge and informs the town of the dragon is an example of strong leadership and confidence under pressure, an early sign that she would make a good leader, and an example of why I feel Twilight was a stronger, more confidant character before she became a princess.
After a cool montage of everypony getting ready, they start climbing the mountain… by walking right up the side of it. Ah, the magic of cartoons.
There’s a little moment I love where after Applejack saves Twilight, she gets a little nuzzle. It’s subtle and sweet, and one of my favorite little touches in the series. Ponies are so affectionate sometimes.
I like how even though Dragonshy is a bit more epic and adventure-y than a lot of the early episodes, it still feels like a down to earth character episode from start to finish, all solidly designed to build up to its ending and moral. The mane six’s various ways of trying to deal with the dragon are charming. I might find Fluttershy’s cowardice a bit annoying throughout the episode, but it’s all worth it for the ending. Fluttershy standing on a dragon’s nose and looking it in the eye might be pretty hype, but what she says isn’t all that cool. She sounds more like a stern grandmother than a badass. But you know what? YOU DON’T FUCKING SAY NO TO GRANDMA! MLP has a habit of turning it’s monsters into pussies. I don’t mind with the dragon. I find the line “But that rainbow one kicked me” quite charming. “But your bigger than she is and you should know better” is interesting because in real life that generally refers to older kids and younger kids who don’t know better. Rainbow Dash knew better. The dragon is just a bigger species.
A solid episode with a rewarding ending. I can see why it’s so popular, though I’m not in the camp that likes it better than every episode prior.

54. Apple Family Reunion (Season 3, Episode 8)
Episodes from the first two seasons, especially season one, tended to be more simple and slow. This meant that I generally felt the same way about an episode from start to finish, leading to a lot of episodes I either really liked or really didn’t like all the way through. Season three started a trend of having more mixed bags. There’s a lot of episodes from season 3 I liked quite well overall but had one or two niggles with.
Exhibit A.
If Apple Family Reunion was at its best from start to finish, it could’ve been in my Love section. I really feel like there’s a classic somewhere in there. First off, an episode about the apple family reunion was something I’d wanted going into season three. I’d noticed in season two that the creators were having a little trouble with Applejack, and a family reunion episode sounded like a fine idea. It begins with Granny Smith clearly being not up to the task of the Reunion. Rather than stretching this out until it becomes annoying, Applejack immediately decides to take over. I like the photo album scene. It has a nice feel of nostalgia to it, and it’s cozy. All of Granny’s stories have a flaw in them, which is how Applejack doesn’t see the point. She misses the idea that the flaws were part of the fun, and that good memories should happen naturally and not be forced. The writers try really hard to set up Applejack’s behavior in this episode, and I admire that, but I still find it hard to buy. This just doesn’t seem like the sort of thing Applejack would fuck up. I can more easily imagine it with Twilight or Rarity. Those are our perfectionist characters.
Baby Applejack is surprisingly cute, and I like the nighttime scene with Applejack and Apple Bloom and their messy hair. It’s homely, which is a feeling I’d like to get from more Applejack episodes. Skirts’ Apple Cider Doughnuts fanfic has that feeling in spades. I also like the shooting stars representing Applejack’s parents. I like the little references here and in Crusaders of the Lost Mark to their presumed death. Though as the staff have pointed out, it’s still technically not hard canon that they’re dead.
We get the first indication of moons, meaning that the episode takes place either one hundred days or one hundred months after the first episode. Both were hard to believe at the time. Luckily, the season 4 premiere took a hard stance and stated that the first three seasons took place over one year. One could conceive that a year is a different length of time in Equestria than here. Same with months, or lunar cycles. Also, I’ve often believed that the episodes must take place out of order to an extent. How else do we have two different winter episodes across the first three seasons when they only take place in one year? Does Equestria have two winters? If Apple Family Reunion takes place early-ish in the continuity of the first three seasons, and if it takes place only one hundred days after the first episode that would be likely, and it might help explain Applejack’s erratic trying too hard behavior in this episode a bit, if we’re close to the events of Applebuck Season, an episode where Applejack was definitely trying too hard. With that said, this episode has continuity with Babs Seed, and I have trouble imagining that episode early in the series continuity. It feels way more season three than season one, if that makes sense. Ah, the things the writers never thought we’d focus so much on.
I like a lot about the reunion. The ponies secret handshakes and the way Winona greets that one kid gets across that these reunions have happened before in a very show, don’t tell way. “I know it hasn’t been that long since we’ve seen each other but IT FELT LIKE FOREVER!” is a favorite line of mine. I appreciate that they brought Babs back so quickly. I wouldn’t have minded seeing a little something with Babs in season 4 or 5, but the mention in Bloom and Gloom is nice. Apple Bloom brings back the “seriously” from Two Many Pinkie Pies. I wouldn’t have minded if they’d brought it back again. I like it on both occasions. As someone who’s spent a lot of time around old country ladies, I can tell you they act like the ones in this episode. They’re a lot of fun. I can totally buy that they’ve been friends for a long ass time. I get a few chuckles out of this episode, from the “seriously” to Apple Bloom falling flat on her face to the silly old ladies to Granny’s “What? I was joking!” I find it one of the show’s funnier episodes.
“Let’s keep this assembly line moving.” Anytime the episode goes back to Applejack, the episode loses its fun and just gets stressful. Like with Hearthbreakers, I wouldn’t have minded if this episode had less or no conflict. It’s just not fun watching Applejack mess stuff up. I like Applejack as somepony who’s stable, fun, adventurous, and says things like “She was tooting her own horn louder than the brass section of a marching band.” The only conflict they’ve ever done with her character that I liked was the one in Leap of Faith. Applejack is the only mane six that I only kind of sort of like. She just doesn’t have a real winner of an episode that I can use as an example of what I like about the character. Twilight has Winter Wrap Up. Rarity has Suited For Success. Pinkie Pie has A Friend in Deed. Fluttershy has Filli Vanilli. Rainbow Dash has a ton of examples. Applejack has . . . Well, the closest thing is Leap of Faith, and that’s only at number 52. At any rate, the barn falls and Applejack tears up. At this point, I was starting to feel like they were having the ponies cry too much. When Rarity Takes Manehattan came around, I just kind of accepted that ponies are leakier than humans, but when it came time for certain season 5 episodes, I got a little bugged by it again. I’ll admit I teared up when Applejack was crying, but unlike the other times I’ve teared up watching this show, I didn’t enjoy being manipulated. Seeing Applejack cry didn’t feel right to me in this episode or at the end of Magical Mystery Cure. I prefer her “cry on the inside” line from Tanks For the Memories. Also, Raise This Barn might be my least favorite song of the series. There are one or two songs that maybe bug me more, like You Gotta Share, You Gotta Care, but that song is supposed to be bad, whereas Raise This Barn really feels like it wants to be the next Winter Wrap Up or something. I do find the moral about family being the first friends you make endearing though.
Really, in general I feel like Apple Family Reunion wants to be the next Winter Wrap Up or Suited For Success, and it just isn’t. It wants to be a season one episode, but this isn’t season one anymore. The show was starting to move on, and would move on in season four, and thank goodness. The series traded some of its down to earth slice of life charm for a wider scope and stranger stories, as well as changing in various other little ways. If the show hadn’t evolved, I feel like we would have gotten a lot more episodes like Apple Family Reunion that were stuck in the past, and they would have only gotten worse and worse over time, eventually turning the show into a zombie franchise. I’m very thankful that hasn’t happened.
Apple Family Reunion might not be perfect, but when I like it, I REALLY like it.

53. Castle Mane-ia (Season 4, Episode 3)
Castle Mane-ia starts a tad rough, as the mane six arriving at the castle of the two sisters for entirely different reasons on the same day is contrived, and the thing with the star spiders doesn’t go anywhere, but it’s a fun episode.
I liked Scooby-Doo as a kid. I watched the movies such as Zombie Island, Ghoul School, and Cyber Chase often. I even liked the dumb fart joke CGI live action piece of ass alright. So the episode feeling like one giant Scooby Doo homage works for me. Add in some interesting lighting, very season 4 dialogue, and the eye widening phrase “disembodied pony legs”, and this episode further indicated that season 4 was different from what we had before. In fact, I’d say that season 4 was most different early on. Princess Twilight Sparkle, Castle Mane-ia, Daring Don’t, Power Ponies, and Bats are some of the oddest episodes the show has had. Each one felt remarkably different from anything I’d seen in seasons one through three, and they all came early in the season. Starting with Rarity Takes Manehattan, season 4 began to feel a bit more same old, same old, though still different. My favorite episodes of season 4 were Rarity Takes Manehattan and Filli Vanilli, slice of life episodes very much in the vein of the first two seasons. When I saw Castle Mane-ia, I enjoyed it, but I was a little weirded out by how different it was from what I was used to, and I’d felt the same kind of weirded out about Princess Twilight Sparkle. I remember feeling a bit relieved when Flight to the Finish and Rarity Takes Manehattan came along and gave me what I was used to. But, I did enjoy Castle Mane-ia and Daring Don’t and Power Ponies, and like I’ve said, I’m happy the show evolved. The series felt more varied early in season 4 than it ever did at any other point. One episode we’ve got spooky Scooby Doo stuff, then lots of action, then a sweet slice of life tale, then superheroes, then whatever the fuck Bats was, then slice of life again. I felt like I had no idea what I’d see next and that was kind of exciting.
So, stuff I liked. The shot of Rainbow Dash and Applejack covered in bees is killer. Seeing the two of them competing is great continuity with Fall Weather Friends. Twilight’s big smile and divebomb into a pile of books is quite adorkable, and it was the first time I felt that way about her.
I’m not sure what it is that’s so endearing about watching everpony converge, freak out, and burst into sobs. I guess it’s that I’m entirely aware their worries are going to be over soon, so I can smile and shake my head at Rarity sobbing under that tapestry and such.
So, the organ player was Pinkie. If I were even the teensiest tiniest bit good at predicting mysteries I probably would have figured that out. Then of course there’s the nice Tirek foreshadowing at the end. Guess he hid out at the castle while he gathered his strength.
This episode sparks the journal that the girls start working on, replacing the letters to Celestia in seasons one through three. I’m not sure why they didn’t continue writing in it in season five. Maybe they filled it or something. Or maybe the writers just got bored of it. It feels as though the series has moved farther and farther away from morals over time. In the first couple seasons, the stories felt designed completely around the moral. Season three had a lot fewer letters to Celestia, and in Just For Sidekicks, Spike’s “moral” speech at the end felt basically tacked on just as a way to end the episode because twenty minutes were up. It makes sense, really. There’s only so many things about friendship to teach to kids. In later seasons, it often feels like they just go for a generally nice, good natured vibe as the moral, and really I think that can work just as well as a speech aimed right at the kids watching.

52. Leap of Faith (Season 4, Episode 21)
A solid, slow paced, down to earth episode, perfect for Applejack. So, the Flim Flam brothers are back, along with a cavalcade of slightly disturbing sick ponies. I used to think I liked this song of theirs more than the cider one, though now I’m not so sure. It’s hard to tell since they have such a similar style. It’s pretty obvious that the “crippled” pony is part of the act, but it’s not an issue as it’s revealed quite quickly. I tend to find the placebo effect quite interesting, and that’s what’s going on with Granny Smith here. I also like the idea that she used to be quite daring and a sort of athlete.
The Flim Flam brothers convince Applejack that it’s right to lie to Granny Smith for the greater good, which I find an interesting enough conflict, and it spirals out of control until she’s lying to the entire town, the poor gal. Apple Bloom saves Granny Smith from killing herself, which isn’t as intense as it sounds (intense isn’t the right compliment for this episode), and we get our moral, simply that lying will cause more harm to your loved ones than the truth. I like it, I like that the Flim Flam brothers escape to cause more trouble, and I like that Applejack was given an episode focusing on her element of honestly.
Really though, I couldn’t care less if that guy gets his one bit back.

51. The Cutie Pox (Season 2, Episode 6)
This is the one episode of the first two seasons that I would describe as filler, and I’m not huge on the beginning or the end, the beginning because at this point in the series I did not care about the Crusaders search for their cutie marks, and the end because the whole seeds of truth thing really comes out of nowhere.
But how about dat middle? I forgot about a lot of this episode after the first time I saw it, like with Dragon Quest, and returned to find I liked the middle section quite a bit. I just think it’s a lot of fun watching Apple Bloom do tricks with that loop de hoop. There’s a lot of visual creativity with it. She tosses it onto a flagpole, flips it up, and jumps back into it. She bounces on it, twirls it with her tail, uses it like a jump rope, etc. I just find it all visually entertaining. This part of the episode really goes on a while, and I can see how someone might get bored, but I like just how slice of life it is. I’m not sure I can think of another episode where it feels like less is happening. And it has the right feeling for an episode where not much is happening. I feel like this episode embraces being filler, and that’s why it works for me. I love that Cheerilee lets the kids halt class for a bit and watch Apple Bloom showing off her talent. It’s just such a sweet, homely attitude. And then she gets a second cutie mark and starts combining her talents. Man, that’s awesome. Even though it all goes to hell I bet she occasionally misses being able to do all that stuff. I would. This episode has a surreal, dreamlike quality to me, partly because it was so initially forgettable (as dreams often are), partly because the tricks Apple Bloom does seem near impossible, and partly because things start off so nicely for her before turning awful (as dreams often do). The scene where Applejack walks in on Apple Bloom tap dancing uncontrollably actually disturbs me a bit somehow. It’s the way she can’t stop and Applejack has no idea what to do.
Gotta love the things you don’t think about while watching a cartoon. Like, when Apple Bloom gets that lion tamer cutie mark, where in the hell did those lions come from?

50. Appleoosa’s Most Wanted (Season 5, Episode 6)
A simple, solid, slow paced, down to earth episode, like Leap of Faith. Some complain that it contradicts what we know about cutie marks. If so, I didn’t notice. It made enough sense to me. Others complain that it’s boring. I find the episode a bit slow in the middle, but it’s hardly a deal breaker.
We’re back in Appleoosa, with a less annoying Braeburn and no Thunderhooves. I’m not sure if this, Party Pooped, or The Hooffields and McColts is the season 5 episode I got the most chuckles out of. The more I write about these episodes, the more I start to wonder if I appreciate the humor in this show more than I thought. I like the ponies who are gung ho to get into a lynch mob (what do they think this is, The Simpsons?), the loony antics with the rodeo clowns at the end, and Apple Bloom’s complete dismissal of Applejack’s trophy. Troubleshoes is a sympathetic enough character, and the CMC helping him understand his talent leads very well into Crusaders of the Lost Mark. I also adore the evolution with Sweetie Belle’s magic. It’s an awesome little detail that runs through the season.
I think my favorite thing is how encouraging the crusaders are of Troubleshoes. I really like the moment at the rodeo where he glances back at the girls, unsure, and Apple Bloom says “go on”. It’s just really sweet.

49. Friendship is Magic Part 1 (Season 1, Episode 1)
I didn’t know what a brony was the first time I watched My Little Pony. I knew that on Silent Hill Heaven there was a thread title My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, for some reason, and I’d heard the phrase love and tolerate thrown around a couple times. The first two seasons had been out for a while, but I’d only gotten high speed internet recently, so I only had the very faintest idea that there were adults watching this show, and I thought it was probably some big joke or that (and I feel quite embarrassed about this now) it was something mainly gay people watched (to be fair Silent Hill Heaven had a high number of gay people, they practically dominated). I noticed that the first episode had a lot of views on Youtube. Why did I click on it? I wanted to see if it was bad or REALLY bad. Morbid curiosity basically.
By the end of part 1, I’d decided the show didn’t suck ass, by the end of part 2 I was a fan, by the end of season one it was one of my favorite shows, and now it’s competing with The Simpsons and Hatchet (by Gary Paulsen) for the title of my favorite piece of entertainment ever. If this blog didn’t make it obvious, I’m obsessed, and have been for years.
There were a lot of people, especially early on, calling the opening two parter the worst and saying the show generally got better after that. I never really understood why. I’ve always enjoyed it. I like part 2 more than part 1, and they feel like two distinctive episodes to me, which is why the episodes are split up when some of the two parters aren’t. A similar thing will happen with A Canterlot Wedding.
Quickly into the episode I began appreciating the animation. It was simple but colorful and smooth, and I’ve never gotten tired of looking at it. I could immediately relate to Twilight, as someone who’s definitely been a bit anti-social before and could never be considered a social butterfly. “All the ponies in this town are CRAZY!” was a definite highlight line. I could relate to Twilight hiding from the party and just wanting to sleep, not to mention what a huge bookworm I was growing up. Now sadly all I read is pony fan fiction (Yours Truly, Like Shattered Glass, and Persona EG FTW).
At the beginning of the series up until Winter Wrap Up (and then again for a large section of season two), Fluttershy was my favorite pony. Her adorable introduction really charmed me, and it’s still one of my favorite Fluttershy moments of the series. I could relate to the shyness quite well. I still count Twilight and Fluttershy as my two favorite ponies, and it has everything to do with relateability. (I’ve got a Funko Fluttershy. It hides behind my computer.)
I’ve gotten used to it now, but at first I didn’t like Rainbow Dash’s voice. That combined with her being my opposite, made her my least favorite at first. Now she’s fourth. (Twilight > Fluttershy > Rarity > Rainbow Dash > Pinkie Pie > Applejack) Used to be more like (Fluttershy > Twilight > Pinkie Pie > Rarity > Applejack > Rainbow Dash) I THINK that’s how it started out. Rainbow Dash grew on me over the course of her many good episodes. We still haven’t gotten to Sonic Rainboom, May the Best Pet Win, Read it and Weep, Wonderbolt Academy, or Daring Don’t.
I didn’t actually think Pinkie was going to be a main character while I watching the first episode. She wasn’t introduced in the same manner as the others and she was so weird. Rarity bugged me a skosh at first, but I think I’d warmed up to her before we’d even gotten to Suited For Success. Applejack was just Applejack, what can you say?
Going back, episode one definitely feels different. The animation and voice acting were already good, and it’s not different like season one of The Simpsons is different. In that case, they’ve admitted they didn’t know what the hell they were doing. Here, they were just working on the general feel of the show a skosh. I think they had it pretty well down by Dragonshy, and especially by Winter Wrap Up.
The episode ends in a cliffhanger, and I remember it quickly dawning on me that I was curious to know what happens next…

48. The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 (Season 2, Episode 15)
Do you ever type only part of what you’re looking for into the Youtube bar to see how long it takes to get to it? Looking for the song, I just typed cider into Youtube. The first pony video was on page 3. The song was on page 10. And I have to say this is the first time I’ve REALLY enjoyed it. I suppose it’s grown on me. I certainly never disliked the song. I always appreciated the style it was going for and was impressed by the length. But this was the first time it really left me smiling.
So, the Flim Flam brothers are extremely one note, but that makes them distinctive and immediately understandable. The second you see what they look like and hear their voices, you get what these guys are. They’re Starbucks. I actually think of this as the Starbucks episode.
The gag with them hitting the fence reminds me of Goofy breaking his own fence in A Goofy Movie and Ned Flanders repeatedly getting his mailbox jacked in Trilogy of Error. I . . . really like cartoons.
This episode is interesting because of its protagonist. In that there kind of isn’t one. One could automatically assume Applejack is the protagonist, but as she gleefully and charmingly states, she didn’t learn anything, and she doesn’t really get a whole lot of the focus. I wouldn’t be shocked if I went through the episode counting everypony’s lines and Apple Bloom or Granny Smith got more than her. Really, one could call the entire Apple family, or the family plus the rest of the mane six as the protagonist. Or perhaps this is Rainbow Dash’s tale, and the story is a tragedy of her not getting over her cider addiction.
Cider, cider, cider. This episode really treats cider like it’s the most amazing thing in the universe, but the story gets the job done. Really, the Flim Flam’s machine is pretty damn cool. The problem was in the way the brothers used it. The machine itself is awesome. The cider it produced, when used right, was really good if Granny Smith’s fearful expression is any indication, and set on Applejack’s farm it could really boost production.
My favorite thing about this episode is that Applejack’s lesson from Applebuck Season stuck with her. She’s in a jam, and she’s more than happy to let her friends help her out of it, hence why she doesn’t learn anything. It’s actually the first indication of how the writers weren’t sure what to do with Applejack. She doesn’t really feel like the focus of The Last Roundup. The writers tried just making her crazy in Apple Family Reunion and Somepony to Watch Over Me, and people weren’t diggin’ it. In Leap of Faith and The Mane Attraction, she’s sort of a Hank Hill sensible stick in the mud type. I kind of miss when she was a bit more fun like in Fall Weather Friends, but I like both those episodes, so I suppose it was the best direction to go in. As for this episode, it’s nice watching Applejack’s friends giving it their all to save her farm.
When it appears that the Flim Flam brothers have won, the towns ponies seem rather upset that Applejack has to leave Ponyville. Even though they were all jazzed over the cider, Applejack’s a real jewel in the heart of Ponyville, as expressed in Applebuck Season, and they don’t want to see her go.
I like little touches like Doctor Whooves being the one flipping the giant hourglass and Granny Smith and Rarity’s different ways of analyzing the apples quality. The shot of a teeny tiny Rainbow Dash flying up and screaming “Oh for Pete’s sake!” is just a great animation moment.
“I didn’t learn anything!” is one of my favorite lines of the series, no matter what it might say about the state of her character.
This episode jumped up ten places when I re-watched it to look for things to talk about. Good ol’ season 2. Way to hold up. For whatever reason, I seem to like the animation, directing, pacing, and writing all around best during season 2. This episode has only grown more fun with age. Maybe part of that is because I know the Flim Flam brothers will return in Leap of Faith.

47. Family Appreciation Day (Season 2, Episode 12)
Season 2 just has so many solid episodes. Sure, I’ve got a few in dislike land, and one in hate land, but not a whole lot, and there’s really not much of season 2 at or around that neural meh zone like there is with seasons 4 and 5. 9 of the season’s 26 episodes are in my top 25. So, out of five seasons, over a third of the top 25 are from season two. Yep, it’s my favorite.
My favorite section of this episode is the last third, and I’ve grown to like the first two thirds more with re-watching now that I know that last third is coming. Apple Bloom is embarrassed of Granny Smith, for all the obvious reasons. I find Granny’s kooky behavior less annoying now that I know what it’s building up to, though the scene with the ropes is still a bit much for me. She’s old, not blind. The zap apples are an interesting and mystical element of the show. The scenes involving their growth don’t feel quite like any other.
I really like Granny Smith’s story. The old timey colors and oval lens work well, Granny Smith actually looked petty nice as a filly, much of it makes sense and the stuff that doesn’t make sense falls under “magic is as magic does”, it’s paced well and is just the right length, and seeing normal folks like Granny Smith’s parents reacting to royalty is fun. I love the little glare the wife gives when he husband kisses Celestia’s hoof. No comment, just a nice little touch. So, Granny Smith is the reason Ponyville exists. I kinda have the same slightly awestruck reaction as the kids. I love that Silver Spoon is the first one to clap. Diamond Tiara wouldn’t have been believable, but with Silver Spoon it gets the point across nicely. And seeing Apple Bloom rub it in Diamond Tiara’s face is quite satisfying.
Another nice little moment of show don’t tell. Granny Smith doesn’t just outright state that she snuck quietly out of the house; we just see her sneaking and that combined with the fact that she isn’t allowed in the forest is enough for us to get it. Storytelling is more immersive when it allows us to make those little connections without us realizing we’re making them.

46. Just For Sidekicks (Season 3, Episode 11)
Oh man, this is the stupidest episode. Fun, though. Should I even talk about this one? Spike and animals. Hijinks ensue. A lot of stuff happens, not for plot or logic, but just so the animals can cause more mayhem and ruin Spike’s day. How does that train door open? Who knows? Who cares? Hijinks baby. I love that everything in the episode is just hurdling Spike towards learning his lesson. Fate shoves him on that train to the Crystal Empire, giving him a ticking clock for learning his moral. I like the continuity with Peewee, and that Tank reappears, and that the Crusaders were considering skydiving. It’s also neat how even though Angel can act like a bitch, he really is dependant on Fluttershy and doesn’t like being separated from her.
This is one of my favorite dumb fun kind of episodes. I’m not sure any other episode screams cartoon like this one. If MLP were an 11 minute comedy like Spongebob, I bet most episodes would look something like this. I like that the series has a bit more emotion and depth than that, but just a stupid romp like this is fun now and again.

45. Feeling Pinkie Keen (Season 1, Episode 15)
Here’s one that moved up a lot with the last viewing. Like with Family Appreciation Day, it’s an episode where I like the last third the best, and enjoy the first two thirds better on a re-watch when I know where the episode is going. MLP’s animation was a bit more janky and inconsistent in these early episodes. Sometimes that meant there were a few weird looking moments, and I watch older episodes in a smaller window than newer ones and I remember that when I started watching the series on Youtube I never put the resolution above 480 cause I thought it looked weird, but there’s a higher amount of hand drawn style charm in the old episodes. I like the animation best in season two when the consistency is higher but it doesn’t have that glossy look of seasons 4 and 5 that I’m not as huge a fan of.
Feeling Pinkie Keen is a goofy one to be sure. I always get a chuckle out of the Looney Tunes moment with all the shit falling on Twilight. The whole episode is centered around punishing Twilght for being a cynical stick in the mud. We also get the introduction of Gummy. I find it even harder to imagine Pinkie without Gummy than I do Fluttershy without Angel or Rainbow Dash without Tank. They’re made for each other.
Twilight observes Pinkie Pie as she hops around, smiles at a butterfly, smells a flower, and rolls around on the school playground for no reason. So slice of life. I find it endearing.
“Explode twice” is one of the more memorable dialogue exchanges in the show. Pinkie and Spike play off each other well here and in Fall Weather Friends. Maybe there should be more of that.
I like that Fluttershy is taking the initiative to help out some frogs. It’s not the point of the episode and no one asked her to do it, but it’s very in character and builds on what we already know about her.
The hydra is a charming baddie with the way its different heads react. The chase scene is about as exciting as season one ever got. The ravine with the rocks jutting up is cool and reminds me of one of the Land Before Time movies. I forget which one. I find it annoying that Twlight doesn’t teleport, but I like the scene anyway. The bubble knocking her back up to the ledge is so awesomely unlikely. And it’s a nice relief when Twilight gives in and accepts that Pinkie sense is real. But what about that moral you ask? I see Feeling Pinkie Keen as an episode about teaching Twilight not to stress out over things she can’t control, and that she can’t always explain everything in the world she comes across. Was it worded a bit awkward? Yeah, I got the religion vibes too. But that’s how I see it.

44. The Hooffields and McColts (Season 5, Episode 23)
I said that humor’s not one of my very biggest reasons for loving MLP. There’s only two episodes that are in this top 50 mainly for humor. One is The Last Roundup, and this is the other one. This episode has a bit of a Cartoon Network vibe to me, from the humor to the character designs.
I’ll get my complaints out of the way. The beginning’s a tad boring and very similar to Griffonstone and Made in Manehattan. In season 6, I hope these Cutie Map stories start getting off the ground quicker. “Yo, we’re here. Let’s friendship this bitch.” I like the resolution with the animals. It makes perfect sense and is my favorite use of Fluttershy in season 5. But when it gets to the resolution I’m kinda like “Aww, the fun part’s over” and I think it drags out the corniness just a skosh. I’m afraid the episode also has one of my least favorite telling not showing lines of dialogue in the form of, “I’m feeling very unprepared.” Insert Robot Devil clip here. The story is also especially predictable.
But I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the rest of the episode. Honestly, I could watch these two families torment each other all day. They’re just so incredibly driven to their single minded focus. The back in forth as they make it clearer and clearer that they’re just doing this to do it and don’t know any other way is great. In a serious episode it would be frustrating, but here it’s just goofy fun and I laugh at it. Classic Saturday morning cartoon fun. The location is nice looking and quite memorable as well.
I like Twilight in season 5 less than in seasons 1-3 but more than in season 4. It feels like we get to see her do more in season 5 compared to 4 and she takes her role more seriously and has more drive.

43. The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone (Season 5, Episode 8)
Here’s a really unique episode. Its singular mix of tones makes it feel different from any other one, which makes me go back to it a lot. There’s adventure stuff, corny stuff, wacky stuff. It’s a bit of a clusterfuck really. The first time I finished I thought “It’s over already?” I felt like I’d only been watching for five or ten minutes. But I find a lot to like.
The opening scene is just pure charm. It could make the devil smile. Pinkie’s bubbly optimism and the way Gummy’s dull, slow reactions contrast it is wonderful, the magic of animation at work in its purest sense. A bit of griffon lore conveys a rich history, and then it’s off to Pinkie and Rainbow’s Excellent Adventure. “Whatcha reading Rainbow?” Oh you did that on purpose! Twilight’s geeky personality shines through while they’re on the road to Griffonstone. It’s the only time the show has ever used narration in quite that way.
Grandpa Gruff is a nice blend of creepy and silly. The griffon community in general seems to hide its despair under a cloak of fake confidence and aggression, which Pinkie appears to notice soon after Gilda’s “We don’t care about anything, and that’s the way we like it.” Gilda making fun of Gruff behind his back helps keep that scene from getting boring. “Maybe it’s good that Twilight didn’t come” is a nice display of Pinkie’s sympathy, and the way she plays with the statue is perfectly weird and quirky. Pinkie can be quite endearing and fun when she’s not screaming at the top of her lungs. I like the bit of leaning on the 4th wall with the no singing. The song joke in Somepony to Watch Over Me felt too similar to the one in Rarity Takes Manehattan, but this one feels fresh and different. Gilda’s sarcastic “Don’t tell me. Friendship?” fits right in line as well, the show poking just a little bit of fun at itself without becoming a parody of itself like Zombie Simpsons.
There’s a little moment where Gilda takes a bite out of Pinkie’s scone and there’s a tiny happy sound effect when she smiles. There’s a million little cartoon sounds accompanying the animation and emotions in this series. It does a lot more to help sell the scenes than we realize. It’s the sort of thing that’s just ingrained in our brain and isn’t consciously noticed so much, but if the brony community is going to nitpick the show’s negative aspects, then we should also… What’s the opposite of nitpicking?
The flight camp flashback is an oddly cutesy scene in an episode that doesn’t have a whole lot of syrup. Pinkie’s 4th wall reaction is wonderful. This episode might be my favorite example of Pinkie in season 5, though I also like her a lot in Castle Sweet Castle and Party Pooped. The tomboy insults Gilda and Dash give each other are great. You can tell they don’t mean it and are just saving face. It’s pretty obvious Gilda is going to choose her friends over the idol, but I’m still happy when she does. The music does a lot to sell it. The voice acting on “You’re more important to me than some dumb chunk of gold” is a bit awkward and false sounding though. Pinkie’s “Go make a friend!” feels like the show teasing itself again, especially with Dash pointing out her sappy speech.
Pinkie’s baking ad is one of the most random, out of nowhere things in the series. I kinda wondered what I was watching for a moment there.
“See ya later, you old charmer.” You’re weird, Pinkie. But I like it.
It’s a little disappointing that Gummy didn’t somehow finish the recipe. It would’ve been funniest to me if he’d still been in the same slumped over pose with the food inexplicably finished right beside him.

42. Rarity Investigates (Season 5, Episode 16)
Here’s a fun, light, charming episode. It’s a bit slow to start and the mystery is predictable, but it’s a relaxed story that I can enjoy in pretty much any mood, and an example of why Rarity is my favorite pony in seasons 4 and 5.
I appreciate the immediate continuity with Sassy Saddles right after Canterlot Boutique. The first act does a lot to slowly set up the rest of the episode. Plus Rarity gives Rainbow Dash a cute lotion boop on the nose, cause why not? Although conceptually the stakes are high as Rainbow is threatened with being kicked out of the Wonderbolts, we know that’s never going to happen, so it’s good that the episode plays it light and doesn’t try to force the idea that this might actually occur.
Skirts said that Rarity acts like she’s on vacation, and that’s a good way of putting it. She cares about helping out her friend, but she’s also just having a really good time. It’s understandable why Rainbow Dash gets annoyed with Rarity, but at the end I like the moral of trusting your friends. The black and white noir look is quite charming. It’s another one of those “sure, why not” things. I like the castle guards getting a little moment in the spotlight. It personifies them so they aren’t just a bunch of faces and helmets. Rarity’s flirting could’ve come across as just manipulative, but as she says, “Everyone likes a compliment.” It’s ultimately good natured enough.
The lightning flash that turns the color to black and white is a nice touch I didn’t notice the first time. They clearly had a lot of fun with the visuals in this one.
Rarity Investigates doesn’t take itself seriously but isn’t stupid or overly goofy either. It’s just nice, relaxing, and fun.

41. One Bad Apple (Season 3, Episode 4)
Some criticized this episode with not being thorough enough with its messages on bullying and for not punishing Babs more for her behavior. Although I would’ve liked to see both of those things, I didn’t mind what we got. Even though I’m someone who was bullied in school, I still don’t take the message here as seriously as some, and just enjoy the episode as a fun romp.
I remember at the time my family didn’t have a computer. I saw a few episodes of season 3 at the local library. This episode was the only one I’ve ever watched on an iPad. It was a neat experience. I don’t really need an iPad cause I’m constantly on my desktop computer, but they’re nifty.
The opening scene gets the story off the ground with natural exposition and a bit of humor. “You know your cousin is supposed to sleep in here!” is one of my favorite Applejack lines. She’s stern without being unlikable.
I find two things really interesting about the early section. One, the Crusaders scare Babs a bit by trying too hard to force their club on her. Their club is a good thing that Babs would probably enjoy, but that doesn’t mean she likes the three of them getting all excited and leaping in her face. There’s actually a really good moral in there about not forcing your likes on others and I wish it was explored a bit more since I find it more interesting than the bullying moral, but I like a hint of it a lot more than nothing.
I remember at the time I was a little put off by Babs’ design. She was boy-ish looking without being a boy, like Scootaloo, and it made me wonder why she couldn’t have just been a boy to diversify the cast a little. But now I really don’t mind at all.
The second interesting thing is that Babs becomes a bully to avoid getting bullied. Again, I wish it had been explored a bit more. I think that there would have been fewer complaints about Babs not getting punished had we gotten inside her head a little. Still, the excellent visual of her covering her flank with her tail is enough for me. I get her mindset and why she makes the decision she makes. It’s a terrible decision, but hey, that’s what morals are for, and this is a very forgiving show. So long as she’s learned, I don’t see why she has to clean the farm or whatever as punishment.
The song. I like it. Even people who didn’t like the episode seemed to like it. It sure was weird though, the weirdest moment in the series up to that point I‘d say. We’ve still never seen anything quite like those backgrounds or the movie characters coming to life. It’s quite catchy and lively though. I enjoy listening to it in German.
The other Crusaders anticipating Sweetie Belle’s cartoon tears gets across the emotion of the moment in a fun way. I dig.
I really like how when Scootaloo questions how they’re going to fight back, the camera pans to the Summer Harvest Parade as an indication. It’s the sort of great little enhancement a visual medium offers.
The CMC have apparently gotten really good at construction work after all their crazy schemes. At the time it seemed silly that didn’t earn any of them a cutie mark, but now we know that’s not their destiny. I wonder how long in advance the writers had Crusaders of the Lost Mark planned. I have to bear in mind that at the time, they thought Magical Mystery Cure might be the last episode.
During an extremely over the top chase (what’s with the ponies leaping out of the way?), Apple Bloom tosses out her “Seriously?” semi-catchphrase for the first time, which I enjoy. Then, the show makes sure that the moral is hammered in hard… Twice. I suppose if a children’s show is entitled to one flaw…
“Oh, why does life have to be so ironic!?” is one of my favorite lines in the series. These poor kids just don’t understand they’re in a TV show.
One little niggle. Babs was a bully, and making her fall in the mud would have been wrong, and Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are bullies, but making them fall in the mud is okay? Maybe Babs didn’t do it on purpose, but this ending combined with the ending of Ponyville Confidential (Diamond Tiara getting covered in ink) makes me wonder if moments like this are part of why the two of kept being bullies for so long.
Overall, I always enjoy this episode. I like the conflict between the CMC, Babs, and DT and SS. And there are multiple standout moments.

40. Brotherhooves Social (Season 5, Episode 17)
Ah, an episode with both fun and heart. Like in season 3, here we have two episodes taking place at the same time. I find it a bit more natural and sensible this time, and there aren’t any repeating scenes.
I was nervous when Big Mac in a dress showed up. I was worried it would get awkward or annoying, but Peter New’s performance was consistently enjoyable. I really never found Cousin Orchard Blossom bothersome. It’s never too over the top or unpleasant, nor does it get boring. It hits the sweet spot. I think it helps a lot that Big Mac is doing all of this for his sister. His heart is in the right place. He also seems to be having a lot of fun with the role. Playing a character allows him to express himself in a way that he doesn’t normally feel comfortable doing. It’s smart that the judges don’t actually mind Big Mac competing and only get upset when he’s unsportsmanlike, and their loose policy is brought up early in the episode, so it’s not out of nowhere.
But the big moment is Big Mac’s speech. The creators know this is a big moment, and set up the visuals and music just right to give it that heartwarming feel. Big Mac never crosses over into corny territory, because this speech is earned and because he feels worried and tentative that he shouldn’t be going on about his feelings like this, though of course, he ought to. There’s something really nice about the shots of Granny Smith calling from the house and Apple Bloom calling back from the hill. I’m not sure what, but the perspective gets to me. Maybe it’s because I can really buy how the locations fit in with each other, or maybe it’s just really darn sweet that Apple Bloom wants to sit and keep talking with Big Mac.
However, the one thing I don’t like about the episode is Apple Bloom. Her adoration for Applejack is a bit overboard and feels excessive, and her response to Big Mac feels too perfect for a child and I have a bit of trouble buying it. I might not find Big Mac’s speech cheesy, but her response… Yeah, a little.
I didn’t expect this episode and it left me happy. “That’s Big Mac in a dress.” No one in this episode was stupid, you know?

39. Fall Weather Friends (Season 1, Episode 13)
An all around fun, solid, light episode. Not a ton to say. Season one episodes have that elegant simplicity going for them. One of the main differences between seasons one and two is that season one focused more on conflicts between characters within the mane six. When you shove six very different “people” together, they don’t automatically gel perfectly. Rainbow Dash and Applejack have a lot in common, both being tomboys who like to compete, but that in itself manages to get them in trouble. Applejack might be a lot more humble and honest, but even she’s worn down into unsportsmanlike behavior. The progression of both characters is quite believable, all sparked by Dash’s “I hate losing.”
Everyone notes how fun Pinkie and Spike’s commentary is, and I will too. Weirdo and straight man get along great together. Everyone also notes Luna Lovegood vibes from Pinkie, and yep, felt them too. After Winter Wrap Up, it was nice to see another episode dealing with a unique changing of the seasons. Even though relateability is a big part of what makes the show work, they never forget that it’s a fantasy world with its own concepts, and the running of the leaves is a cool one. In stories like this, I tend to hate it when the characters tie, but here it works because they tie for LAST, and that drives the point home. Who beat who doesn’t matter. They dodged another pitfall by not having Twilight take first place, which would have been hard to believe. I can buy sixth. The last shot through the leaves is gorgeous and reminds me a lot of The Simpsons Movie. It’s also pure Appledash fuel.
Boy, Celestia sure does look weird from a front shot. “Fall is one of my favorite seasons.” Out of only four. You’re trying too hard to please everyone, Tia.

38. The Ticket Master (Season 1, Episode 3)
The Ticket Master is an extremely simple slice of life story, even by season one standards. It was a way to show the mane six in a non-adventure context and get an obvious conflict out of the way. The first time I saw this episode, I didn’t think it was a brilliant story or anything, but it left me feeling happy somehow. That optimism and sweetness was beginning to warm my heart. I was worried it wouldn’t hold up in the face of more complex, strange stories, but I actually enjoy it all the more now for its purity. Half of the episode is about Twilight wanting to get lunch, for Pete’s sake. In an era of television and movies ramping up the speed to compete with modern attention spans, the gentle, steady pace of MLP, particularly early on, is something I find refreshing. The scene at the restaurant becomes memorable because it doesn’t just exist for the gag of Twilight getting rained on. It takes its time and becomes a full scene in and of itself. If that didn’t sell me on the episode, Twilight giving up her tickets had a sense of maturity that I really admired.
Out of all the Gala visions, I think I like Pinkie’s best, as it’s just the most fun, particularly the alliteration, which is something the writers seem to love. I have to say though, I found Applejack’s reason easily the most worthwhile.

37. Wonderbolts Academy (Season 3, Episode 7)
At this point, not much had been done with Rainbow’s dream since episode one, so this episode was definitely something I wanted to see. The military style setting gives it a more mature adult feel than most episodes, which is a nice change of pace. With all the animation of flying and stunts, it’s also a bit of a visual powerhouse. There’s a fair amount to like right from the start. Dash’s trolling with the letter got me just as well as the rest of the girls, and Pinkie with her megaphone is a well executed bit of over the top. Spitfire does great in her role as a stern commander, and Lightning Dust works as a version of Rainbow Dash whose arrogance and cockiness is pushed up to eleven, though I think I like Gilda more. Btw, Lightning Dust. What a great name.
MLP generally isn’t huge on the B story concept like classic Simpsons, but it has one here, though it intertwines with the main storyline. Pinkie’s panic can be a bit annoying and excessive, but it’s sweet just how attached she is to her friends, and the reactions are good, especially, “Anypony else still following this?” I suppose people were talking about stuff like this when they said that season 3 had too much Pinkie Pie, but I didn’t have a general issue with Pinkie until her infamous run of annoyance in season 4. I found it odd that the Mane Six were all available to fly to Cloudsdale on a whim. I thought to myself, “Don’t these girls have jobs?” It got even sillier early in season 4, but I kind of just accepted it when Rarity Takes Manehattan rolled around, perhaps only because I love that episode.
Rainbow Dash’s conflict is sympathetic here. It’s easy to see how she’s pulled in two different directions, between her instinct to do what’s right, and her desire to do what’s expected of her at the Academy. Ultimately, she rejects what’s expected of her and opens Spitfire’s eyes a bit to the way things should be at the Academy. They continue the trend of the Wonderbolts learning from Rainbow Dash in Rainbow Falls, if less successfully. I like the scene where Rainbow Dash takes the moral high ground and quits. It’s one of the show’s more serious moments and is a very respectable moment for her, displaying how much her character has matured. For a moment, I really wondered if Dash’s dream was over. The rest of the girls comforting her is a heartfelt moment representing the close bond between them. But, then we get our more obvious happy ending, and that’s fine too I suppose.
I also approve of the cute moment after the rescue where Rarity hugs her savior.

36. Canterlot Boutique (Season 5, Episode 14)
Suited For Success and Rarity Takes Manehattan are very high on my list. So it’s only natural that an episode with such similar subject matter would also be pretty high. (I have the song stuck in my head as I’m typing this.)
To get my complaint out of the way, I find the first third a bit slow. It’s largely exposition and Pinkie jokes I don’t find funny. I’d also like to have seen a bit more time taken with the Princess Dress becoming a fad and the Canterlot ponies reaction to it. It feels like it happens instantly, though maybe that’s the point.
Once it gets going, we have a very nice story here. I’ve always felt like I could show Suited For Success to anyone, and they’d have a good grasp of Rarity as a character, and that’s also true of this one, focusing on her integrity, inspiration, and dedication as an artist. Rarity Takes Manehattan is more about her Element of Harmony, which is nice, but not as much about the core of her character.
I really like the conflict between Rarity and Sassy Saddles. Neither is malicious or out to get the other. Rarity has good artistic sense and SS has good business sense. Ideally they would find some common ground, but instead they clash, as SS treats Rarity like a machine to pump out the latest fad. True to Rarity as a character, she can’t stand being a McDonald’s. She wants to provide a personal experience as tailor made for each individual pony as possible, even if it takes more time and doesn’t make as much money, which is very endearing, if not always one hundred percent practical. I’m happy SS isn’t treated as a villain to be tossed out, and gets to run the Canterlot Boutique. Her business sense on her own apparently lead to failure in the past, but who knows how much more trouble Rarity would’ve had getting Canterlot Carousel off the ground without her?
Like with Wonderbolts Academy, seeing Rarity make such a huge progression on her dream is great. This isn’t a show that sticks to the status quo until the series gets repetitive and boring. In some shows it’s fine to dump on the characters and not have them achieve their dreams, but MLP is more optimistic than that, and one reason I’m happy the show made it to season 5 is that it would’ve been a tad sad if Rarity had never gotten her boutique in Canterlot.
The song is quite similar to Art of the Dress, weaving in and out of the episode and having its ups and downs. I like Art of the Dress and I like Rarity’s elegant, pretty singing voice, so no complaints here.
So, Twilight is the most popular Princess? Must be because she’s so new. Or I suppose saving the world all those times probably earned her a lot of points. I kind of like to imagine that the other Princesses have been saving the world a bunch off screen, even though I’m probably wrong. Cadence was bored in Three’s a Crowd after all. Yeesh, Daring Do could be doing more to protect the world than Cadence. I like how awkward Twilight feels modeling the dress, but she makes no complaints. She’s doing it for a friend after all.
Rarity struggles within the system, and makes an artistic alternation to her dress without really thinking. Reality ensues, and the customer doesn’t want something she didn’t ask for. Although this customer is a bit unlikable, she’s not wrong. She deserves to get what she paid for, and it’s good the episode acknowledged that.
Rarity gets on the cover of Glamare magazine, but she isn’t happy because she didn’t do it her way. She’s not being picky or selfish here. She has values that are worth sticking up for, even if it means closing the boutique. But, once ponies see her other dresses, they’re in love, and find dresses that fit their individual personalities rather than turning them into clones. I like the bubbly and goth pony sisters. I honestly like the goth pony’s voice just as much as Maud’s.
I have no idea what’s up with the bus pony. Great continuity with that picture in Tanks For the Memories? Wait. Is she dating someone in Cloudsdale? …Whatever.
Oh, I only just now got that the Princess Dress is perfect for making Canterlot ponies feel like princesses because it has wings and they already have horns. Duh.

35. Magic Duel (Season 3, Episode 5)
I find Magic Duel one of the most unique and re-watchable episodes of the series, like Griffonstone. Just about every moment is memorable, and it’s interesting to have a standalone episode with stakes that are so high. This was the first time a character was brought back from a previous episode and redeemed, though it became something of a habit after this. I don’t mind. As long as the redemptions are consistently believable and done well, I’m not sure I mind how many there are, though the more times the writers draw from that well, the more predictable it’ll get and the harder they’ll have to work to pull it off. I liked Trixie way more after the last scene of this episode, and I’m not alone on that. She’s given a bit of humility while still retaining her nature in the charmingly ironic line, “Don’t you think the great and apologetic Trixe is the most magnificent humble pony you’ve ever seen?” And then she falls down on her way out of town. Perfect. Even before the reformation, I enjoy her hammy cockiness more than in Boast Busters, since she’s designed to be a villainous threat right from the start. Giving her a reason for wanting revenge and an object that expands on her maliciousness makes her both a sensible baddie and redeemable. Pretty clever.
The mood of the opening scene was interesting in that it was more dark and cinematic than was the norm for MLP. I was wondering if they’d break the tension, and I was happy they did. “Would you like that gift wrapped?” is a pretty good gag. I like the clerk’s immediate change of tone. His slightly mysterious demeanor is completely broken at the sight of cash.
Twilight levitates a bunch of animals, and it makes her sweat. But all those apples back in Applebuck Season were nothing? Maybe it’s because the animals are alive. Even after becoming a princess, freezing everypony in The Hooffields and McColts was a challenge for her. …Maybe it’s just because TV shows have more than one writer.
The magic duel itself doesn’t go for epic. We’re not at Twilight’s Kingdom yet. It’s more a series of entertaining gags and visuals that have a hint of the Bridle Gossip irony. Rarity’s put in an ugly outfit, Pinkie’s rendered unable to speak right, Rainbow can’t fly right… Actually, it’s a LOT like Bridle Gossip come to think of it. Never noticed before, which I suppose is a compliment. I like the continuity with Snips and Snails still being big Trixie fans. They come to realize over the course of the episode that they don’t like New Trixie. It’s nice that they aren’t blind followers. A bit odd that Twilight calls them friends, though I suppose she is the future Princess of Friendship. I also like that Pinkie has some pride in her rock farm heritage, even if it wasn’t the life for her.
The dome placed over Ponyville reminds me of The Simpsons Movie. I wonder if it was a reference. I know the similarity with Stephen King’s Under the Dome was a coincidence, so who knows? Life is strange.
Zecora seems to have a bit of her own style of magic, refilling the cup with her hoof. She’s not one of my favorite characters, but I like her role as a Yoda style mentor here. Twilight repeatedly spilling the cup isn’t a gag that makes me smile though.
I don’t think anything gets across the bad state Ponyville is in like the shot of Mayor Mare in a birdcage.
The whole ending is pretty clever. I didn’t predict that Twilight wasn’t using any real magic. “I needed to use a different kind of magic… the magic of friendship.” Oh the lines that only this show can get away with. I actually said “Say it…” in the middle there. I have to say, Fluttershy’s a good little actress, pretending to be another Rainbow Dash. Fooled me. The scene utilizes the ponies similar body types well. It’s the sort of thing that works best in animation. I like Twilight’s smugness when informing Trixie about the fake amulet, and the way she plays with her for a moment before forgiving her. I think she kinda likes having a nemesis. Pinkie’s instrument playing skills return from Swarm of the Century. This episode is just jam packed with continuity. (Btw, Lyra during the second duel is just standing there drinking a cup with her eyes closed like she doesn’t give a fuck about the fate of Ponyville. It’s pretty funny.)
Despite my above compliment, the issue I do have with Magic Duel is Fluttershy. I said in The Cutie Map that there are times where Fluttershy doesn’t feel like much of a team player. I know she’s a fearful pony, but here she has to be forced by her animals to help out her friends. I don’t find it likable how much her cowardice is exaggerated in this episode. Luckily, I enjoy her characterization in later episodes like Keep Calm and Flutter On and Filli Vanilli.
Since this episode, all Trixie’s gotten are some jokes in the Equestria Girls movies I didn’t find funny. I wouldn’t mind seeing her return in season 6.

34. The Crystal Empire (Season 3, Episodes 1-2)
What is it with season 3? It seems to get triple the shit of any other season. I mean, people complain about some early season one episodes feeling off, about too much Rainbow Dash in season two, about Pinkie’s characterization in season four, and about Starlight’s redemption in season five, but it seems like people have so many more problems with season three, and outside of Spike at Your Service and the half length, I don’t get it. True, I don’t like the season 3 premiere as much as the season 1 or 2 premieres, but I still really like it. Maybe the series having its first huge break raised people’s expectations. Maybe people felt that since there were only half as many episodes they needed to be twice as good. Or maybe season three was actually just way shittier and I was too dumb to notice. I dunno.
I’ve always had a lot to say on this episode. I even made a commentary for it on my short lived Youtube channel. Not sure if that was any good. It’s cause not only is it a two parter, but it’s a two parter I have mixed yet overall very positive feelings on. I don’t like the first fourth, but once our little ponies get to the Crystal Empire, I always have a really good time.
It starts with Celestia during paperwork. It’s nice to see the Princess having to deal with the dull labor of running a kingdom. It gives a sense of importance that Celestia ought to have. A guard informs her that “it” has returned. As old as Celestia is, it seems that could mean all sorts of things. Cut to Twilight panicking. Considering my opinions on Lesson Zero and It’s About Time, you can predict I’m not fond of this scene. It’s nice that her friends seem used to it at this point though. Celestia’s line “we’ll know that she is that much closer to being ready” made me consider the concept of Twilight becoming a Princess. After all, Twilight’s role was already so important that was the only thing I could see being bigger. Still, I didn’t think they were ACTUALLY going to do it! But the idea made me excited. Celestia treats Twilight saving the Crystal Empire as a test, which doesn’t seem to aid the Empire’s salvation and comes across a bit risky. I understand that Celestia’s preparing Twilight for princess-hood, but it’s not a shining moment for Tia. Celestia’s big display during the Crystal Empire story makes the episode feel like it’s trying too hard to come across as big and epic, though I do think it succeeds at being big and epic towards the end. I prefer the smaller scale openings that The Return of Harmony and A Canterlot Wedding have. It’s funny how everything seemed to happen 1000 years ago. We don’t really know much about what happened in between the time Nightmare Moon was banished to the time she came back. There’s a moment where Luna is frowning at Twilight as she’s leaving the room. Perhaps she was more skeptical than Celestia that Twilight was Princess material.
The Failure song is one of my least favorites in the show. I’m a little weirded that Twilight’s so worried after everything she’s accomplished, but even if I buy that, the song is irritatingly exuberant for a negative song, which feels like chewing the scenery. With that said, I do like the shot of her mane flying in the breeze, which in fact is my FimFiction avatar. I also like the big shot pulling out from Canterlot. It’s a great location I like seeing utilized in this manner.
Pinkie’s party cannon falling in reverse along with her is a creative bit of zaniness, and the first hint the episode is going in a direction I like. I also like the way Shining Armor rips his scarf down like a badass. It’s like he’s saying “fuck yeah I’m the main character’s brother”. “But Princess Celestia said I was being sent here to find a way to protect the Empire. If King Sombra can’t get in, then it must already be protected.” I like this bit of logic from Twilight. These displays of intelligence are part of why she’s my favorite pony. The chase sequence feels big, and not in the forced way of some earlier scenes. I buy that the characters are in danger. I like that they ditch the bags in order to escape.
Rainbow’s joke on Rarity is one of my favorite little character moments in the series. I didn’t realize she was just messing with her until it was made obvious, which made the moment work. MLP isn’t a sitcom, and isn’t packed with the characters taking jabs at each other, but I like the occasional moment of playful teasing like this. No matter how close the characters are, they have clashing differences, so of course they would love to pick on each other a bit.
Cadence and Shining Armor are back, and it was nice to see them for what was only the second time, and I like the continuity with the “sunshine, sunshine” dance. It’s cute that they have their own little secret handshake. I like to imagine real life babysitters doing that with kids. Adorable. However, the fact that we have another shield bubble protecting another city felt a bit repetitive after A Canterlot Wedding. Cadence is clearly tired, but has the inner strength to keep going as long as she can and says she’s fine. Shining Armor saying “she’s not fine” is a strong indicator of how much he cares about her. Twilight decides to gather research on the slightly weird looking crystal ponies, in typical dorky Twilight fashion.
This is one of my BFF’s favorite episodes that I’ve shown him. He found the crystal ponies’ lack of memory and way their culture and history is used to revitalize them very interesting, and said it’s the sort of thing a show like this should be doing.
After the mane six try to get info in their own ways (with Pinkie making an awesomely unexpected gag involving a Fluttershy suit), they head to the library. Twilight’s repeat of “There are no words” is a nice callback, and her “You do. You really do.” is an exaggeration on her personality that I don’t mind at all. It’s quite charming. I love love love the librarian who can’t remember if she is in fact the librarian, and didn’t see fit to say anything at first. She’s just so lost, but doesn’t seem particularly worried about it. It’s the type of moment that fantasy and sci-fi are really good at, and it’s naturally injected here without feeling too weird or out there. It’s perfectly set up with Twilight’s conversation with the first crystal pony they run into.
Even something as simple as finding books is done in a way that fits the mane six’s various personalities and abilities. Twilight uses her magic, Pinkie bounces around, Rainbow and Applejack try something daring, Rarity seems to get tired quickly, and Fluttershy just does it the normal, expected way. It’s easy to miss the way Spike eagerly shows books to Rarity, and it’s not the only subtle moment of him clinging to her in this episode. As big as this episode can feel, it doesn’t forget to have lots of small character moments, and that’s why I really like it.
I enjoy the Crystal Fair song (and going back to my BFF, it’s his favorite MLP song he’s heard). It was released, along with the Failure song, long before the episode. While I only listened to the Failure song once beforehand, I listened to this a bunch of times, and by the time the episode aired, I was able to sing right along with it. It’s bouncy and pretty and varied looking and has nice acoustics. My only complaint at the time was that it felt a bit similar to a lot of earlier MLP songs, but soon after came the weirdness of the Babs Seed song, and I forgot my worries of the songs getting too similar. The various ways that the mane six help set up the fair are tailor made to their personalities, like the library scene. In some later episodes, especially in early season 4, it felt like not every mane six needed to be in the episode, and that a couple episodes might have even benefited from leaving a couple ponies behind. Perhaps that was part of the idea of the Cutie Map on the creators part, doling out adventures to portions of the mane six rather than all of them. At any rate, I can’t imagine The Crystal Empire without all the mane six present.
The Crystal Fair reminds me of sim games like Roller Coaster Tycoon. The main six have to distract the crystal ponies from Sombra trying to break in from outside with games and food and such, which is fairly ridiculous, but not too ridiculous for a fantasy cartoon.
Twilight somehow failed to mention that a page was missing from the book, even though it’s right at the end and not at all a clean tear. Oh well, nitpicks.
Sombra got a lot of flack for not having any dialogue, but I didn’t mind. He doesn’t seem to have any personality, so I imagine if he’d had dialogue it would’ve all been boring anyway, though I did really like the Sombra Fiendship comic. I see Sombra as less of a character and more of a big intimidating force. When the shield falls at the end of part one, Sombra is like a giant black storm surrounding the empire. It’s really threatening. Honestly, I don’t like Sombra any less than Nightmare Moon or Chrysalis. None of them had personalities I found interesting, but they all made for good threats. I felt Tirek did better than all three in both the personality and threat department.
It used to bug me that Applejack never moves the fake crystal heart, but I suppose she doesn’t get an opportunity with the crystal ponies out and about.
Twilight uses a bit of evil magic to unveil the stairs. I’m not sure how she mastered that just by watching Celestia, but these rarely seen black arts sure are interesting. It’s cute the way Twilight claps her hooves together afterwards. I like how when Spike warns Twilight that the situation isn’t good, she immediately develops a sense of urgency and breaks into a run. The door that leads to one’s worst fear is a great concept, though I found it really obvious that what I was seeing wasn’t really happening.
Twilight’s slightly exasperated “Stairs” is one of my favorite moments of voice acting in the show. It’s flawless.
Rainbow Dash enlists Fluttershy as her sparring buddy. I really didn’t think Dash would actually hit her, but yep, she sends Fluttershy right into the air. It’s silly and over the top enough that I don’t find it too mean. When Fluttershy backs down, Dash guilt trips her a bit, and I’m surprised that it doesn’t work.
“The real heart is-” “On its way!” “I was going to say being polished, to buy us some more time.” Wonderfully written Rarijack banter. Not only is Rarity smart and her line to Applejack very well acted (she sounds pleasantly airy despite getting a critical point across), but Applejack’s mistake is understandable.
Twilight reverses gravity, or something, to slide up the bottom of the stairs. It’s so friggin’ cool. What a hero. This is the sort of thing I want to see a magician do. I love the mix of dorky nerd and adventures leader that Twilight is. It’s like Buffy Summers and Willow Rosenberg rolled into one!
Twilight gets trapped with the Crystal Heart with no way out and has to enlist Spike’s help. Keeping in mind Twilight’s panic early in the episode, I kind of thought that the moral would be something about Twilight not getting so OCD about rules and tests and such, and I was a bit disappointed that wasn’t what we got, but I’m fine with the self sacrifice moral. I think it’s pretty cool that bloody Spike of all characters saves the day. He’s a character we often don’t get to see do much, being a kid and all, so this was a neat change of pace. I like the exciting music that starts up when Spike picks up the heart.
“I don’t know if they believe you.” “I don’t know if I believe me.” More good Rarijack banter. I love seeing the two of them play off each other like this.
Look at the little hop Spike makes from one ledge to another. Now stop for a moment and think about how high that is. That was a brave little jump.
One epic wife chuck later and the day is saved. Cool. I thought it was really neat that the Crystal Empire became to Cadence and Shining Armor what Canterlot is to Celesita and Luna. It’s like they got their own little part of the world to reign over. It’s very strange that Cadence is the Crystal Princess though. I’m not sure what to make of that.
The music when the aurora appears in the sky is quite lovely and often gives me the good shivers, and the book is a nice bit of foreshadowing for Magical Mystery Cure.
The Crystal Empire might have a rocky start, but it’s full of great character moments and has an epic finish.

33. Inspiration Manifestation (Season 4, Episode 23)
Quick complaints. The resolution is predictable, it’s a bit disappointing that Rarity doesn’t remember what happened, and there’s a lot of that repetitive, tell don’t show season 4 dialogue I don’t like. Now, on to why I really like the episode anyway.
I’ll get into this more with Secret of My Excess, but perhaps my favorite thing about Spike is his interaction with Rarity. They somehow hit this sweet spot where she isn’t leading him on but isn’t cold to him either, and he is very devoted to her but not in a creepy stalker way. When Spike is doting on Rarity, it feels like the show is making fun of him less than it often is. It’s still played for laughs sometimes, but he sincerely cares about her as more than just a pretty face and their friendship matters to him. Hence, the conflict in this episode, which I find very strong. Spike is unwilling to tell Rarity that she’s doing something wrong because of his feelings for her. It would be the same conflict even without the crush, but the crush just makes his dilemma stronger and more understandable. I completely buy the trouble he’s having.
Little stuff I like. The puppet theater guy’s voice is super hammy and memorable. Rarity’s ice cream scene plays her melodrama at a level that is charmingly over the top rather than annoying. Spike melting the lock with his fire is kind of badass. Though at first the return of the who jokes is disappointing, over the course of the episode Spike seems to grow to understand Owlowiscious better, which is neat, and this is my favorite use of the owl. I really like the flashes emanating from the windows at Carousel Boutique as Spike approaches. They just scream “uh oh”. The Mayor Mare requests Twilight’s help. Must be nice having a Princess in town. After Spike blames the owl for taking the book, the way he goes “hoo” seems to say “not cool bro”. The ending with Spike messing with the moral is such a believable kid thing to do.
Rarity’s really never mean to Spike during the episode. Even after she goes cray cray, she’s thankful to him for giving her the book. It helps keep the episode at a sweet, slice of life level.
“-until there isn’t an inch of Equestria that hasn’t been transformed by my creative GENUIS!” The big flash and music at this point gives me a good shiver.
I really like Rarity and Spike interaction and feel this is a strong conflict, so Inspiration Manifestation is a win for me.

32. Daring Don’t (Season 4, Episode 4)
Quick complaints again. The episode takes most of the first act to get off the ground. It looks like it’s going to be an episode about not meddling in others affairs, and then that setup is pointless as the Daring Do reveal makes the story completely switch gears, but then I have a lot of fun.
“A.K. Yearling IS Daring Do!” Didn’t see that coming. Pretty cool twist. I’m not sure what they would have done with a Daring Do episode if she hadn’t turned out to be real. I guess it could’ve been something about a Daring Do movie. Some people complained that the episode was nonsensical and asked “Why doesn’t Celestia know about this?” Maybe she does. I have no idea what goes on in Celestia’s head. She barely gets any dialogue, and if The Crystal Empire is any indication, she doesn’t always completely know what she’s doing.
Since the only real fight scene up to this point had been in A Canterlot Wedding, the action here was pretty surprising and impressive. The fights are lively, fluid, and visually creative. They were clearly allowed to get away with more than before. At one point a little pony kicks a cat in the face. I love being able to type that. I can’t blame the mane six for just watching, mesmerized, as Daring fights in that first battle. The music is pretty great, too.
Daring Do turns out to be the stoic, lone wolf sort, which works well enough I guess.
I like Twilight and Rainbow Dash’s internet style nerd battle. It’s nice that the episode doesn’t forget that Twilight has read the books as well. She was the one who introduced them to Dash, after all.
Ahuizotl has a neat design. I never really noticed his hand tail in Read it and Weep. It makes for a couple fun visuals in this episode.
“It’s fine to look up to Daring Do, but you’ve put her so high up on a pedestal, you can’t even see your own worth anymore.” Whoa. It’s eerie how much I can relate to this. This is one of the show’s most unique and mature morals for sure.
“You can flap too, ya know!” This is clearly the moment where Rainbow Dash gets the stars out of her eyes. She’s a much greater help to Daring Do when she’s not busy treating her like a celebrity, and instead as an equal.
Seems like Daring Do destroys dangerous valuable treasures, and then makes money by writing the books. Neat. What an interesting double life.
A fun action episode with a smart moral.

31. Sonic Rainboom (Season 1, Episode 16)
More Snoop Dashie Dash. Sonic Rainboom is a classic fan favorite. It’s the first episode starring so many people’s favorite pony. It’s the episode many bronies used to try to get people into the fandom. And, yeah, I like it. It’s solid, believable, well paced, and uses its characters well. What do I mean when I keep saying solid? I mean the episode feels well built and constructed, like there’s a nice base or stage for the events to take place on. It means the episode comes across as more than the sum of its parts because it was tried and true and I don’t find fault with it looking back. I don’t get an uncomfortable niggle in my brain thinking about the episode because of something wrong I can’t quite put my finger on, as I sometimes did with season 4, even with the episodes I liked. For example, I have fun watching Daring Don‘t, but when I think about the episode, something I can’t quite explain feels a bit off and sour. I don’t get that feeling from episodes I call solid, and I find a lot of episodes in the first two seasons especially solid, season one more than any other, which is where a lot of that more than the sum of its parts feeling comes from, and Sonic Rainboom is perhaps the best example of all.
At the beginning of season one, Rainbow Dash was my least favorite pony because I wasn’t in love with her scratchy voice and I had trouble relating to her cocky ego, as someone who’s been emo for much of his life. But, she just kept getting good episodes, and now I like her more than Pinkie and Applejack.
I feel weird talking about this one cause everyone seems to see the appeal of it. It’s like complimenting Resident Evil 4 or The Dark Knight. I feel like everyone’s gonna roll their eyes and go “Yeah, we get it.” Saying that the “Yay” scene is charming is like saying that Rainbow’s friends were mean to her in Mare Do Well. Fluttershy seems even more famous for those three letters than for the tree scene. It’s like the other 20% percent cooler. Andrea Libman has been asked to say it at cons. Heck, one of the emoticons on FimFiction is Fluttershy’s “Yay” face, designed to be used in place of typing out “Yay”. But still, might as well do this proper like. The “Yay” scene is charming. It sets Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy’s personalities against each other in a humorous way. Also, the sky is blue.
“She was tooting her own horn louder than the brass section of a marching band” is possibly my favorite Applejack one liner. I feel like lines like this largely faded away after the first two seasons, only to strangely get referenced in the season 5 premiere.
“I think it worked.” See? You don’t need a big dramatic gasp or scream or line right before the act break to get people to come back after the commercial. A good story will do that fine.
It’s quite nice and courageous of Rarity to try out the transformation spell. It’s an early-ish bit of likeability for her character.
I like the balance in the story between Rarity’s vanity, Dash’s nervousness, and Fluttershy’s need to be more assertive, the last of which gets picked back up in Putting Your Hoof Down, but is just a nice little element here that didn’t need to be in the episode but does nothing to interrupt or stall the story. It flows through naturally.
The “Rainbow Crash” nickname is repetitive, but that’s the point, and I like how the bullies reprimand each other for it at the end after Dash has gotten their respect.
Twilight’s spell was too challenging to do on anypony other than Rarity. This is because having so many mane six with butterfly wings would be distracting and because Rarity being the only one to get so much attention is good for the story. But that’s not how I thought about it watching the episode of course. Good immersion hides what the writers are thinking and just lets you focus on the characters and events.
It’s sweet that Rainbow’s initial jitters vanish after the rest of the mane six appear to cheer her on, and that she admits it. In a straight up comedy, the characters can only be so sympathetic because the audience is supposed to laugh at the bad things happening to them. In slice of life, this isn’t nearly as much of an issue. Drama is the same way, but dramas are a lot more depressing and heavy. MLP is light and pleasant while still being emotional, and I adore that balance. I get to feel for the characters while still having a smile.
“Only Pegasus ponies can walk on clouds.” I appreciate all the new information provided in this episode. This is our first time seeing Cloudsdale, and the tour introduces it to us as it introduces it to the characters. Of course, the immersion doing its job means the audience is only thinking about the characters.
The only part of the episode that bugs me is when Rainbow Dash criticizes her wings in comparison to Rarity’s. No matter how nervous she’s gotten, I find it hard to swallow such a cocky flier saying “plain old feathered wings”. Besides, that’s what everypony besides Rarity has.
I don’t actually find the sonic rainboom itself all that cool looking. Visually I prefer the one in Lesson Zero. What I like is that Rainbow performs it while saving Rarity. The first time she did it, it was in a race for Fluttershy, so both times have been linked to friendship, and the first sonic rainboom was the initial connection between all of the mane six as friends. Neat!
I like the moment where Rainbow touches down and realizes with surprise that everypony is cheering for her. She wasn’t even thinking about glory while her friend was in danger. That’s our girl.
A couple morals are learned, happy ending, credits. My Little Pony. Solid.

30. Flight to the Finish (Season 4, Episode 5)
This episode is famous for taking a serious look at Scootaloo’s disability, but watching it, the word disability never really popped into my head. I suppose it’s because earth ponies and unicorns aren’t able to fly either, so I just enjoyed this like any other cute, sweet episode.
Although I enjoyed Castle Mane-ia and Daring Don’t, Flight to the Finish was something of a relief, a back to basics slice of life episode. Although I appreciate how varied season 4 is early on, and I’m very happy that the show wasn’t content to do the same old, same old over and over again until it got stale, the two most slice of life episodes in the first ten episodes of season 4 are Flight to the Finish and Rarity Takes Manehattan, and those were also my favorites out of the first ten (though just now Power Ponies moved up a bit with re-watching).
I don’t like Ms. Harshwhinny on her own. The strange mouth animations didn’t do anything for me. But I like how she contrasts with Rainbow Dash. Dash just brightens the room the second she flies in with her bravado and positive energy.
The jab at Snips and Snails is pretty good. A little self-awareness on the writers part is nice to see.
Rainbow “Professionalism” Dash. First it was Danger. I really want to see her photo ID.
I’d never really noticed before that the Crusaders make up the three races. It’s a cool touch with their characters that wasn’t blatantly apparent to me before. And yeah, Ponyville does seem to be a mix of all three types, in contrast to the unicorns of Canterlot, the pegasi of Cloudsdale, and the earth ponies of Appleoosa. I suppose Ponyville is like the center of harmony or something. Maybe being set so close to the Tree of Harmony has something to do with that. With the Tree of Harmony restored, Discord and Starlight Glimmer reformed, and a fourth alicorn, the good guys seem to be getting more powerful all the time. Quite the golden age for a country (continent? What IS Equestria?) that was already pretty nice back in season one.
The Crusaders enthusiasm leaving the schoolhouse leads really well into the song, and I don’t think it’d be as strong otherwise. Hearts Strong as Horses is a bit repetitive, and I honestly listened to it too many times and made myself a bit sick of it, but at the time it was one of my favorites. It’s quite catchy and looks and sounds great. The shot of the CMC silhouetted against the sunlight is simply gorgeous and one of my favorite visual moments in the series. I have to shake my head at the line “We’re kind of short but so what?” Short compared to who? They’re the same size as the other kids. I guess they’re just being cute for the bronies. Even the simple backgrounds full of hearts look strangely really good. They do a leap in front of the sunset, similar to the South Park movie, but here it’s nicely broken by Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. This episode is Diamond Tiara at her most venomous. The fact that I buy her redemption in season 5 after THIS is pretty darned incredible. Honestly, I’m kind of impressed with just how much of a bitch she is here. She scans the Crusaders, looking for a weakness to exploit.
I like how the blank flank teasing doesn’t phase the CMC anymore. Being Crusaders for a while appears to have gotten them over that. They’re smart enough now to know they shouldn’t listen to DT’s bulshit, but Scootaloo ultimately can’t help it.
The Crusaders performance for Rainbow Dash is my favorite part of the episode. It’s impressive, but not TOO impressive. I can buy that three kids threw it together on one day, but it’s still a bit of a jaw dropper.
Rainbow Dash’s “B-plot” is a little odd. I thought it was going to affect the main plot somehow, like her lack of enthusiasm is what gets the Crusaders to change their routine and Dash learns that she should’ve told the Crusaders how great it was and not listen to Ms. Harshwhinny. I like the conflict we end up getting, but I felt like the episode had accidentally misdirected me a bit.
Poor Scootaloo. I’d never really thought about her ability to fly or lack thereof before. This makes the infant being able to fly in Baby Cakes a lot more tolerable.
“We’ve gotta catch the early train to the Crystal Empire. I’d better get some rest.” Sweetie Belle’s voice actress was starting to sound really different during some lines. When you think about it, the kids voicing the Crusaders have grown up a lot over the course of the series production. Apple Bloom has a really mature sounding line during We’ll Make Our Mark in season 5. Scootaloo’s the only Crusader for who I haven’t noticed any big changes.
Scootaloo’s conflict causes some believable drama within the Crusaders, stressing out the others and causing Apple Bloom to give up on convincing her. Rainbow Dash backs the Crusaders all the way though, and wastes no time re-uniting them. “But that was me. You’re you. And it just doesn’t matter if you can fly or not.” Simple and elegant. Play to your strengths and don’t expect to be something you’re not. I really like Rainbow Dash in this scene. Sleepless in Ponyville and Flight to the Finish are two of my favorite episodes for her character, and they’re both Scootaloo episodes. After Sleepless in Ponyville, I couldn’t wait to see another episode all about Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash. This was sadly the closest we got, but I liked it.
The scooter ride to the competition is completely ridiculous, but the episode’s earned it. It’s odd how that thing with Granny Smith was like a running gag. I’m sure they didn’t plan it that way back in The Show Stoppers.
A good conflict, a strong moral, and a catchy song. It’s a winner.

29. A Friend in Deed (Season 2, Episode 18)
The Pinkie Pie episode. I know there’s more than one, and in fact there’s two higher on the list, but I still think of this as THE Pinkie Pie episode. It’s 100% Pinkie. It’s the most Pinkie thing ever made.
It starts with Pinkie babysitting the Cake twins. This is exactly what I wanted to see after Baby Cakes. Just a little bit of casual continuity down the line, something to display that she did in fact keep it up.
Anyone could watch this episode and understand Pinkie. Heck, they could watch the scene before the song and understand Pinkie, or watch the song, or half the song. The entire episode has the essentials of her character nailed down tight. Smile Smile Smile is a huge fan favorite. If it’s not still the most popular song, it’s gotta be top three. And, uhh, I kinda don’t get it. I like the song alright. It explains the core of Pinkie’s character wonderfully: “There’s one thing that makes me happy, and makes my whole life worthwhile, and that’s when I talk to my friends and get them to smile!” is one of the most essential lines from the show imo. I like the visual moment where the entire background goes pink. And it’s certainly pleasant enough. But it’s not one of my top ten favorite MLP songs. I have listened to it a ton of times, though that might just be because I like imagining Satan from South Park singing it. Really, my favorite thing about the song is the abrupt cut at the end from Pinkie’s smiling face to Cranky’s grumpy mug. It only takes half a second to know what you’re in for.
Pinkie’s cartoonish friendliness and Cranky’s surly cynicism play off of each other as well as I would like. They remind me of Spongebob and Squidward. The zoom into Pinkie’s brain with the felt animation is a fun look into how her mindset works. She just can’t comprehend how someone could not want to be her friend. Some complained that they could have gone for a moral about how not every friendship is destined to work out, and yeah, part of me wanted them to go that way. Really though, I get it. The show is called Friendship is Magic after all. Though I wouldn’t have minded if Pinkie had a taken just a bit longer to consider that maybe bothering old folks isn’t the best use of her time. I think a lot of what makes it work for me is the spa scene. This act of kindness on Pinkie’s part does seem to please Cranky. It encourages her to keep going and helps her antics to annoy me less. “He’s starting to warm up, but still no smile.”
“This donkey is really, really BALD!” Oh, that’s terrible. I like it.
“I must have put the confetti in the oven and the cake in the confetti cannon… Again!” What a freaking ditz. Again, I like it. Pinkie comes across like a zany airhead. In season 4 there were times where she was more like a screeching idiot and I wasn’t a fan (and I certainly wasn’t alone).
Not so huge on Pinkie chasing Cranky everywhere. It’s the third time they’d done that joke and I didn’t laugh the first time back in Griffon the Brush off.
“My birthday isn’t for another seventy-five days.” Looks like Pinkie learned from Party of One.
The flashback has a unique sense of maturity to it. It’s a bit melancholy to think of how much of Cranky’s life he wasted. I like how the audience is able to see exactly how Cranky missed the note but Cranky isn’t. Pinkie may have been annoying a lot in this episode, but Cranky’s ultimately very lucky he ran into her, and acknowledges it too. And thus, Pinkie’s knowledge of so many friends saves the day. A nice story with a lot of zaniness.
“Others just like to be left alone, and that’s fine too.” Oh Pinkie, stop. You didn’t learn that. What you should be saying is “I didn’t learn anything! I was right all along!”
The snow globe is my favorite appearance of Derpy ever.

28. Power Ponies (Season 4, Episode 6)
Ah, dumb fun. Takes me back to the crap I watched on Fox Kids. After a cute slice of life scene between Spike and Twilight, we cut to the restoration of the Castle of the Two Sisters, because why not I guess. Spike and the mane six get zapped into a comic book and turned into its characters, an odd story concept that doesn’t feel like anything from the first three seasons. It’s sort of Twilight Zone-y. I really like the superhero outfits the mane six get and miss them when the episode ends. The Mane-iac is Generic Bad Guy 1X, and that’s how it should be. This episode is a love letter to dumb crap. I like how the Mane-iac’s hair works like Doc Ock’s tentacles. Some people complained that the mane six’s powers are similar to the powers they have in Equestria, but I can’t imagine it any other way. We’ve already got a comic book city (which looks friggin’ great by the way), a crazy villain, costumes, powers, and a Spike conflict. How much more does the episode need to throw at us? I would find it odd if the characters powers had nothing to do with who they are. Others complained that some of the stuff Rarity imagined up wasn’t useful, but I can’t imagine mind powers being easy to get a hold of. Thoughts just leap into people’s heads. Really, if I were sucked into a comic book and suddenly given superpowers, I don’t think I’d be immediately proficient at it. I can’t be hard on the mane six in this episode.
“It’s an improvement, darling.” Rarity’s so sweet. Her powers are my favorite of the episode. I like the little things she uses them for. She has an eye for detail, after all.
I have a lot of fun watching the mane six get more proficient and creative with their powers. The fight sequences are fast and hectic. The whole episode has a lot of visual flair. Pinkie’s speed gags are a lot of fun.
One of my favorite gags in the series is Spike stepping in that second bucket. There’s no reason for it to be there. It’s a comic book. Who drew that!? A lot of my favorite humor is the kind that makes you ask how or why something could have happened.
I appreciate that the hairspray is set on a timer. That actually shows a lot more intelligence then you usually see in Saturday morning cartoon villains.
Fluttershy turns into the Hulk. The irony is entertainingly apt.
Just to drive home how silly this all was, Spike got the comic from the House of Enchanted Comics. Perfect dumb ending to a dumb episode. Sure, it took a lot of the first act to get off the ground and Spike’s conflict is predictable, but I always have a really good time with it.

27. Keep Calm and Flutter On (Season 3, Episode 10)
When I became a fan of MLP, the first two seasons were already out. After seeing over fifty episodes right in a row, waiting a few months for season three wasn’t hard. What was hard was waiting just a few weeks for this episode, especially since it was the Fluttershy and Discord episode, so it had to be good. And it was, though some felt it should have been a two parter. I never got that feeling. The only episode I’ve had serious pacing problems with is Princess Twilight Sparkle, and maybe The Show Stoppers. Keep Calm comes across as a small, slice of life story to me even if it is about Discord. Maybe I would have liked it even more as a two parter, but I was fine with it the way it was. Still, Keep Calm is one of the only season 3 episodes that seems to be a fan favorite, alongside Magic Duel and especially Sleepless in Ponyville.
Celestia appears, drops off Discord’s statue, says “Free him, reform him. See ya later fuckers!” and flies off because royal summit is more important than the lord of chaos. Who knows what runs through her head? I don’t, which is why I don’t have a serious problem with this.
Fluttershy’s scene with the beavers displays her kindness and understanding of compensation and compromise at work, setting up the rest of the episode, and the “such language” line is a good joke.
I like how professional and serious the mane six act while unleashing Discord. They understand that this is a big deal. They keep their elements on at all times and make sure to have a plan B, and aside from Fluttershy act very suspicious and on their toes the whole time.
So, Discord’s back in all his hamminess and a bunch of viusal gags. The eye rolling bit is one of my favorite moments from the character. It’s just so bizarre. Rotating Fluttershy’s house also makes for a fantastic visual. I’m not sure if it actually makes him more comfortable or if it’s just to mess with Fluttershy. I also like the paper eating, though more for Fluttershy’s weirded out face and Twilight’s pissed reaction than the act itself. However, though I like Discord here, his bag of tricks is a lot smaller scale and less impressive than in The Return of Harmony, and not why this episode is as high as it is.
The star of Keep Calm and Flutter On is Fluttershy in my eyes, and this was the first Fluttershy episode I felt really placed her in a strong light other than just at the end of the episode. Fluttershy’s kindness isn’t something that makes her a doormat in this episode. It’s her strength. Fluttershy just doesn’t back down. I kept thinking at some point she was going to give up on Discord, but she just kept sticking up for him. It was frustrating and wonderful all at once. Her taking off her element was a real jaw dropper for me. And even after he turns the water to ice, she still takes the ice skates and doesn’t put her element back on. She’s a girl who sticks to her plan, and I admire it, and you know what? It worked. Sure, she does end up screaming “Not your friend!” because a pony can only take so much, but at this point Discord has seen what he has to lose. Chaos is fun, but friendship gives him a kind of joy he didn’t know about before. The teary eyes threaten to push the ending into corny territory, but the line “Well played, Fluttershy.” is subdued enough to keep it at the right level.
“I’m ready to use my magic for good instead of evil… most of the time.” is a line that displays Discord isn’t ready to go full good yet, nor should he be after one episode, and in Princess Twilight Sparkle we get to see a half reformed Discord who cares about Fluttershy’s friendship and not much else pony wise, and I’ve already said I found that very entertaining.
I liked the idea of this episode right from the start. I wanted more Discord, but if they hadn’t reformed him, I’m not sure how they could have done that without repeating The Return of Harmony. And pitting such a sweet, innocent character against such a manipulative villain was just a blissful thought. I always enjoy this one.

26. For Whom the Sweetie Belle Toils (Season 4, Episode 20)
What do you consider the darkest episode? It’s probably one of the crazy ponies episodes like Lesson Zero or Party of One, or perhaps one of the more epic stories like Twilight’s Kingdom. For me, it’s For Whom the Sweetie Belle Tolls, which I remember as the episode where Princess Luna psychologically tortures Sweetie Belle to prove a point. “You know, for kids!”
Man, the opening scene gets so much right. It’s probably my favorite opening in the series, and my favorite part of the episode. Sweetie Belle is eagerly helping Rarity with her work like the adoring little sister that she is, and tripping like the klutzy little cartoon that she is. Sweetie Belle waits to hear that Rarity has enough time to complete her work to ask nervously if Rarity would help with her outfits. She deserves it, considering how much she’s helped out, as her sister points out, but she also knows that she’s putting a strain on her sister, which makes the nervousness with which she asks and how thankful she is when Rarity says yes very lovable. Sweetie Belle points to the dresses, which are obviously a train wreck, and based on Rarity’s personality, the audience doesn’t need to be bluntly told that she’s going to completely renovate the dresses. The horrified look on her face is more than enough, a good show don’t tell example. A little blunt exposition on what Rarity’s working for aside, I love this scene.
The play communicates the point with just a few sparkles, a bit of applause, and one poorly acted line. The dresses are great, and the rest ain’t. Clearly communicated nice and quick.
Sweetie Belle is not a happy pony. In fact, she’s super pissed. Like, teenager pissed. Has she only grown up a year since season one? Cause it feels like five. There are definitely hormones at work here. It’s pretty intense. Especially when she punches her pillow. I really like her angry rant about the red ribbon. It’s like the show’s poking fun at how nit-picky Rarity is. As much as Sweetie Belle looks up to her, it also makes sense for her to be exasperated by things like this.
Rarity’s attitude when Sweetie Belle confronts her about the dresses is great. When she says her line, “Oh, so they did like them” I’m not sure if she’s just joking because she doesn’t understand what’s going on or if she really is oblivious, but either way it’s funny, and it’s clear that she didn’t mean to hurt her sister.
Sweetie Belle brings up her 5th birthday party, something we hadn’t heard about before this episode, which is one thing holding this episode back from the top 25. Sleepless in Ponyville was well set up in advance by Scootaloo’s adoration of Rainbow Dash, and Bloom and Gloom was well set up by how long Apple Bloom has been searching for her cutie mark and bronies musings on how cutie marks work. I do get an idea of how much Sweetie Belle looks up to her sister before this episode, but not to the same extent.
Luna appears, and provides Sweetie Belle with past, present (well, near present), and future visions. Here’s the thing about Christmas Carol type stories. There are so many of them that it’s usually painfully obvious when one starts that that’s what I’m seeing, so they generally only work played for laughs. But here, I didn’t realize I was watching a Christmas Carol type story until the future part, which impressed me.
After Sweetie Belle realizes she’s dreaming, in humorous fashion, Luna says, “I understand what you’re going through Sweetie Belle. I too have a sister who often shines more brightly than me.” making it clear that this is personal, that she’s taking an interest in this partially because of her past experiences, and that’s why she REALLY wants Sweetie Belle to get the point here.
Luna brings with her some trippy visuals that make this one of the weirder episodes. The past and present segments explain to Sweetie Belle that Rarity was only trying to help, and the future segment scares her into action. I feel like at some point, the reality of what the future is crosses over into Sweetie Belle’s worries or Luna exaggerating. I can maybe buy Rarity’s panic attack, but Sapphire Shores seems a little too nice to purposefully drag Rarity’s name through the mud like that.
Sweetie’s hooves sticking to the floor is already on the freaky side, but then it gets a bit chilling, an odd choice of word for MLP maybe, but it feels like it’s supposed to be chilling. Sweetie Belle pleads with Luna that she doesn’t want to see any more, but nope. Luna drags on psychologically tormenting her just a bit longer to make damn sure that she gets the point. Sweetie Belle screaming “Wake me up, Princess Luna! Wake me up! Wake me up!” is played over Rarity’s descent to insanity and spiders crawling all over her disheveled boutique. Damn. There were moments in the series before this that I thought were a bit dark by the standard of MLP, but this is a bit dark by the standard of kids shows in general.
This episode is the second appearance of Sapphire Shores. I didn’t like her the first time, but she doesn’t annoy me here. I like the voice acting much better this time around. I like that the guard doesn’t believe the CMC and won’t let them in. After all, he has no reason to, and someone like him shouldn’t have his heart melt every time kids plead with him.
A couple bits of comic relief help brighten an otherwise dark and intense episode, like the train scene. The CMC playing keep away from Rarity in a scene that might have felt a little to hijinksy in another episode, but this one really warranted some comic relief. Emphasis on relief.
After that comes the expected happy ending. I don’t find it as heartwarming as in Sleepless in Ponyville or Bloom and Gloom, another reason we’re not quite in top 25 land. One note of interest is that often dramatic Rarity kind of underreacts when Sweetie Belle explains what’s going on. It feels like she mellows out a bit after Rarity Takes Manehattan.
Quite the dramatic and memorable episode. I was impressed.

25. The Last Roundup (Season 2, Episode 14)
Applejack only has one episode in the top 25, and sadly, it’s not because of Applejack. Her rodeo story is fine I guess, though a bit on the predictable side. No, we’re here because of the humor.
It’s a lot harder to make me laugh than it was when I was a kid. I’m more about characters and tone/mood than I am about humor. I love the characters in MLP and I love the optimistic tone, so the fact that I don’t laugh like crazy at this like I used to for The Simpsons and South Park doesn’t really hurt the show much. The only things that seem to get consistently big laughs out of me right now are American Dad and Game Grumps, so really, I’m happy with the chuckles that I do get out of MLP.
I find the last third of this episode freaking hilarious though. Pinkie Pie so happily and optimistically states that Applejack surely has to fess up after making a Pinkie Promise. The alternative is just unthinkable. When she sees that Applejack has left without telling the truth, she gets intensely pissed, a fire is lit under her ass, and her voice drops to a demonic pitch. Her getting all scary-like isn’t unlikable because Applejack wronged her and because Pinkie’s chasing after her for the right reasons. I just find it damn funny how gung ho she is about this, continuing to scream after the awesomely silly “car” chase begins. “Rarity catch me.” LOL WTF!? WHY RARITY!? WHAT POSSIBLE TRAIN OF THOUGHT LED TO THIS AWFUL DECISION!? Hilarious. It’s also charming how Pinkie gives Applejack some time after making something resembling an apology.
If that wasn’t enough, Fluttershy gives one of the most amazingly cheesy lines ever. “Applejack, we can always find a way to fix that hole in the roof, but if you don’t come back, we’ll never be able to fix the hole in our hearts.”
I also appreciate the outhouse scene. There’s something oddly satisfying about the show acknowledging that these ponies do in fact have bladders.
Well, that’s The Last Roundup. Hmm, I feel like I’m forgetting something. Oh well, it probably wasn’t a big deal.

24. Friendship is Magic Part 2 (Season 1, Episode 2)
Part 1 surprised me, and Part 2 continued to surprise me. I remember how weirded out I was to like the show. Really, I didn’t get over the strangeness for over a year. Getting into My Little Pony might be the weirdest thing that’s ever happened to me, though in a way I was even more surprised to get into pony fan fiction. I’ve always loved animation, but fan fiction’s something I never expected to get into.
Actually, maybe the weirdest thing that’s ever happened to me was seeing that live action on stage high effort rendition of songs from A Goofy Movie of all things. THAT was baffling.
As someone who was a fan of the series by the end of Part 2, I’m surprised how many people back in the day were calling the opening two parter the worst episodes. It can’t be because of the adventure focus, because people loved The Return of Harmony and A Canterlot Wedding. I know both MrEnter and Tommy Oliver found Part 2 overstuffed, but I found it no more stuffed than Part 1. Part 1 gives us the start of the Celestia/Luna story and introduces the mane six. Part 2 shows a good quality of each of the mane six and wraps up the Celestia/Luna story. I find it hardly more complicated. Really, that distinction is why I like Part 2 more. Part 1 does a good job of getting across the characters quirks, why they’re unique, why they’re weirdos. But Part 2 shows us why they’re admirable, their strengths, their good qualities. Rainbow Dash won’t ditch her friends for glory, Pinkie knows how to make the best of a bad situation with humor and song, Fluttershy sees past the face of a beast and finds its heart, Applejack is courageous and dependable (and apparently honest, though I don’t think that’s what makes her likable in that scene, it’s the way she’s willing to slide down to help Twilight), and Rarity… well, the writers would get better at making Rarity more than just a stereotype over the course of season one, but even with as awkward as the sea serpent scene is, it still gets across that even though Rarity can be vain, she can also be giving.
I love how cynical Twilight is. Her little groans and the “Tell me she’s not.” I love that MLP is so non-cynical, but this bit of snark and self-awareness was one thing that really helped me get into the show as an adult male who was at this point already feeling kind of awkward for enjoying myself.
Though the songs would get bigger and better with Winter Wrap Up and Art of the Dress, I like the Laughter jingle, especially the first couple lines. It sounds pleasant, and the corniness is deflated by, again, Twilight’s “Tell me she’s not.” Rarity’s response “She is” is a bit interesting. One thing that the show’s a bit vague on is exactly how well the rest of the mane six knew each other before episode one. They seem aware at least that Pinkie is an odd duck. Might be neat to see an episode taking place in Ponyville not long before Twilight’s arrival.
The strength of My Little Pony comes from its characters. These six are so well realized that I can imagine them in any situation and know how they’ll react based on their personalities, and clearly I’m not the only one, hence FimFiction. It’s good that the show spent so much of it’s first two episodes just getting across who these six are, what their strengths and quirks are. I hardly care about the Celestia/Luna story, but that didn’t matter because it wasn’t the focus here. Nightmare Moon does make for a nice threat though. I actually found the climax to be more exciting than I expected. The way the Elements get destroyed surprised me. It raised the stakes to a degree I found gripping. Add in a couple good Pinkie gags with her falling over and changing her emotions on a dime, and we’re off to a good start.
I’m a little nostalgic for this episode. It has something of a fable or fairy tale feel. It feels like a kid playing with toys and coming up with stories, which fits perfectly, especially since Lauren Faust was inspired by her experiences coming up with adventures with her pony toys. In Lauren’s wonderful foreword to the Pony guidebook, Why My Little Pony?, she talks about how the magic and unicorns and fairy dust inside a little girl’s mind is serious business and not something to be belittled. We always knew that robots fighting each other and fast cars and explosions were great. But we never knew that ponies and optimistic slice of life and all this other cutesy girly stuff was great because no one ever really tried before. Everyone always dismissed the little girly projects they were working on before they even got started and never gave it a chance or took it seriously. As far as I know, Friendship is Magic is the first really good little girls show ever made (Update: I just found Braceface and it‘s surprisingly good, though more for pre-teens), not counting The Powerpuff Girls, which I see as more like Dexter’s Lab or Fosters Home For Imaginary Friends than like Rainbow Brite or 80s My Little Pony. I actually used to think Friendship is Magic wasn’t a girly show. I thought, “It’s good, so it must not be girly.” After seeing Digibro’s Embracing Girliness video, I realized that was a preposterous and downright sexist way of looking at it. This show is about what you would expect it to be about. Princesses, unicorns, songs about laughter and smiling and friendship and DRESSES. It’s not the subject matter, it’s the execution. Friendship is Magic has good animation, good voice acting, good songs, good pacing, and best of all, good characters. Little girls deserved a show like this long before now. The fact that I was baffled by my love for the show for over a year is a failure on the part of humanity. It never should have been baffling.
Okay, so that was probably the right note to end on, but I just love the little visual of Rainbow Dash flying through the fog and landing on her back legs after fixing the bridge. So iconic.

23. Crusaders of the Lost Mark (Season 5, Episode 18)
In this episode, Pip runs for the school election!
But that’s enough about Pip. Honestly, there are times when I straight up skip the first act of this episode (same with Canterlot Boutique). Vote for Pip isn’t one of my favorite songs of the show. I do like Diamond Tiara threatening to reveal ponies secrets. It’s nice continuity with Ponyville Confidential. Also, there’s been a subtle thread in the past of Silver Spoon following Diamond Tiara around like a puppy and imitating her, so the way she finally decides to stick up for herself here is badass. It’s nice that she doesn’t reveal exactly what she was going to say before Diamond Tiara interrupted her. It’s pretty obvious she was going to say “-care” but it still adds a nicely frustrating little niggle. I also like that the effects Discord and Tirek had on the world actually, you know, had an effect on the world and stuff needs to be fixed. But I found the election a bit bland. I found myself thinking, “Why is THIS a musical episode?”
Cuz dis iz de episerde werr dey gaht der butt tattoos. In retrospect it’s so obvious with that little song in the opening scene. But that song is so small and humble and unimpressive. It’s like it’s unassuming on purpose, like the writers needed to make sure the cutie mark theme was set in the first scene, but it couldn’t be obvious from that that the Crusaders were going to get their marks, so the animation in it is a bit boring. Look at that tiny head bob Apple Bloom does at the start of the song. What is that? It’s so boring. It’s perfect.
Really, the cutie mark reveal was so well hidden in plain sight, like the best twists are (The Sixth Sense and Silent Hill 2 come to mind). It was the shows 5th anniversary, indicating that something big would happen, but the show already celebrated its 100th episode, so I’d assumed the celebrating was over. Yes, it was a musical episode, but when Diamond Tiara’s reformation happened, I assumed that was why it was a musical, that that was the big thing they were showing off.
Diamond Tiara is my second favorite antagonist in the show, after Discord (with Tirek third). I liked her even when she was a one note bitch, because I found her an entertaining one note bitch for whatever reason. The redemption adds another dimension to her character, and I approve. The whole time I was thinking, “I can’t believe this is working. I can’t believe they’re pulling this off.” Really, it feels like it shouldn’t work. After over four seasons of being a bitch, Di goes from being a baddie to a goodie in one episode, and not just a goodie, but a super sugary sweet goodie. Look at her cute little run cycle in “We’ll build a playground for all of us to enjoy” and the cute little way she dances in place afterwards. She’s just so damn happy to help, and it’s nice to see. The episode has the right tone for such a change. I find this one of the most optimistic feeling episodes in a generally optimistic show. I think the line, “Just because she’s never cared about anypony else’s feelings doesn’t mean we shouldn’t care about hers” says it all. Another part of why I buy the redemption is that Diamond Tiara never seemed happy. Sure, she acted like she enjoyed the suffering of others, but I never really bought it. I can totally buy that it all came from family pressure. The Mom has an annoying voice and she’s ugly and terrible. She’s perfect.
The line “Would you believe that I’ve always wished I could be somepony else?” feels a bit self-aware, like the writers knew they were playing with a tricky idea in reforming her. In a way, this episode feels like it could’ve been a total disaster and was a big risk. When they reformed Discord, some complained that it should have been a two parter, and when a big change happened to Twilight in Magical Mystery cure, more than some complained that it should’ve been a two parter, and they pull the same trick here that many feel didn’t work there of making it a musical to quicken the pace and get everything across quickly, and the redemption and body change are now smooshed together into one episode. On paper, what a bad idea! But, I think the difference is that not everyone was ready for Discord to be reformed and not nearly everyone was ready to see Twilight become a Princess. I don’t know anyone who wasn’t ready for the Crusaders to get their cutie marks. I sure was. I was getting tired of the looking at their flank gimmick back in One Bad Apple, and was happy that CMC episodes started focusing less on crusading around that point. I also don’t know anyone who wasn’t ready for Diamond Tiara to get reformed. She wasn’t exactly a popular character, though I don’t really think she was supposed to be.
By this point, I was worried that the Crusaders were never going to get their marks, and it was something I really wanted to see. At one point, I hated the idea of all three Crusaders getting their marks in the same episode. But I like the way they do it. The three of them are still united together, and Crusaders episodes will still be Crusaders episodes, and some of them will still be about cutie marks, but now they’re like Cutie Mark Psychiatrists, or whatever. They help with cutie mark problems the same way the mane six help with friendship problems, and now they can do pretty much any story idea involving cutie marks with the CMC. And thus the show can be milked for as long as Hasbro is making money and viewers aren’t sick to death of stories about friendship and cutie marks. Really, it’s damn smart. I feel like this is the season where the writers went, “Oh crap. How are going to keep this thing going for years? Ideas people!”
I like the songs, The Pony I Want to Be and Light of Your Cutie Mark more than We’ll Make Our Mark or Vote for Pip. None of the songs are in my top ten, but they’re a lot more re-watchable than I expected, and a big part of why this is in my top 25. I really like how the rhythm of The Pony I Want to Be (reprise), begins as The Pony I Want to Be and switches over to Light of Your Cuite Mark. It makes thematic sense and isn’t something I noticed the first time. I also love how in the background, there’s a bit of music as the playground equipment is brought in that’s the same as “Would you believe that I’ve always wished I could be somepony else?” only faster and happy. In a weird way, that’s my favorite part of the episode. Not the songs themselves, but the way they’re constructed and fit together.
CotLM is only the 4th most enjoyable season 5 episode for me, but it’s my favorite thing that happened in season 5. I feel like at this point, the show has given me everything I could’ve wanted it to give me. Twilight became a Princess in Magical Mystery Cure, A Canterlot Wedding was the super Disney drama one, Twilight’s Kingdom was the super plot focused episode with the big explosions and battle. The last thing I really wanted after season 4 was for the Crusaders to get their marks, and now that that’s happened, the show feels considerably more complete, the thread that began in episode 12 closed off. Really, I don’t know what else I want, other than for the series to end before it gets stale or jumps the shark or both. Maybe I’d like an episode about filly Twilight, or an explanation about the Tree of Harmony, but mostly, I’m satisfied. 10/10. Which is actually why I decided to make this blog now, with season 5 over with.
Actually, speaking of the Tree of Harmony, the way the CMC get their cutie marks looks different from when the mane six got their marks, and they all got a similar cutie mark and at the same time… I wonder if the Tree of Harmony had something to do with the CMC’s marks, like it thought, “I’ve got my friendship squad. Now I want my cutie mark squad!”

22. Griffon the Brush Off (Season 1, Episode 5)
There are some season one episodes I liked the first time and have a little trouble enjoying on re-watch, mainly Look Before You Sleep and Winter Wrap Up, but this one remains as solid and re-watchable as ever. It doesn’t seem to be one of the more popular season one episodes, and that has everything to do with Gilda. Gilda is one note, shallow, and arrogant. She’s everything Rainbow Dash would be if Rainbow Dash were a bad character, like the clones are for Pinkie Pie, and I find that pretty interesting. Sure, she talks like a middle school boy, but middle school boys are pure evil and therefore make for good antagonists.
I like that just because the mane six saved the world together once doesn’t mean they’re all super best buds immediately. These six are very different and it makes sense they wouldn’t immediately get along perfectly. Rarity and Applejack clash in Look Before You Sleep, and here, Rainbow Dash finds Pinkie annoying. Dash might not be Gilda, but she does care about being cool, and Pinkie’s loud, obnoxious randomness is on the uncool side. But, she warms up to Pinkie as they bond over pranks. The pranks could have seemed mean, but they make a point of not pranking a sensitive pony like Fluttershy, the writers covering their ass quite nicely.
When Twilight assumes Pinkie is being jealous, it makes her frustrated, but, to her credit, she stops for a moment and considers that Twilight might be right, and gives Gilda another chance, an early mature moment from the show that impressed me. Pinkie mentions extreme measures, making it sound like she’s going to enact some sort of revenge on Gilda, leading to the clever twist that the pranks were not for Gilda specifically, and that she only went headfirst into them all because she selfishly had to be first at everything. Pinkie never loses her integrity by lowering herself to Gilda’s level, and Rainbow gives a great speech. “If being cool is all you care about, then why don’t you find some cool friends someplace else.”
Also, I don’t understand why, but “I’m a year older than you” is one of the most adorable Fluttershy moments ever.

21. May the Best Pet Win (Season 2, Episode 7)
This one’ll be short. MtBPW is good, simple fun from start to finish. The song plays Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash’s personalities off of each other well. It’s obvious quickly that Tank is going to become Dash’s pet, but it doesn’t feel like it should be obvious to the characters, so it’s not too predictable, and it’s always fun rooting for the underdog. Dash is a bit cocky and mean in this episode, but I really don’t mind. I feel like she mellows out a bit after this season. She still has some growing up to do here. The animals succeed and fail in all sorts of enjoyable ways, with Dash being oddly and entertainingly OCD about rating them. I like that in the end, Dash finds a loophole in her own rules in order for the tortoise to win. And of course the irony of a super fast pony being stuck with a walking rock.
I don’t know what else to say. This is one of the episodes where I have the least understanding of why I like it. It’s just fun watching animals competing in various events and Rainbow Dash being Rainbow Dash and that’s all I know.

20. Secret of My Excess (Season 2, Episode 10)
The episode about Godzilla Spike!
But that’s enough about Godzilla Spike. I mean, it’s fine and all and it makes for some nice visuals, but that’s not why we’re in top 25 land. The interaction between Spike and Rarity is. I think of this foremost as the first Spike and Rarity episode.
Spike is excited about his glorious Fire Ruby, but Rarity is clearly taken with it. The way that she stands there fidgeting, almost as if she’s waiting for Spike to offer the ruby to her, could be seen as manipulative, but I get the sense that she can’t help herself. It’s sweet that Spike is willing to offer it to her, and it’s even sweeter how incredibly thankful she is, bouncing around the room in glee and kissing Spike on the cheek. I just love how appreciative she is.
And then there’s the ending. This sweet, beautiful ending. Rarity and Spike are falling to what they think might be their deaths, so Spike begins to tell her how he feels, but Rarity puts a hoof to his lips, displaying to him without a word in a epic but of show don’t tell that she already knows, and smiles to tell him that she’s okay with it. And thus what was already a nice running gag evolves into something better, a relationship where Rarity is happy about his feelings but doesn’t lead him on. I really like all the interaction they have past this episode. Anytime Rarity bats her eyelashes to get what she wants from him, it somehow doesn’t seem cold. It feels like she genuinely appreciates his affections. How they’ve managed to accomplish this without it seeming weird or creepy, I don’t know. It’s funny how much more interesting I find Rarity and Spike than Twilight and Spike.

19. Read it and Weep (Season 2, Episode 16)
My favorite Rainbow Dash episode. I mean, it’s Rainbow Dash… Reading. What’s not to like? It starts with Rainbow crashing and being put in the hospital for a few days. Twilight suggests she read, but she thinks it sounds lame. I love the way the others laugh at her for this. It’s like in this innocent, G rated, PBS Kids universe, the idea of thinking of reading as lame is silly and uncool. I love the way Rainbow Dash will do anything to pass the time other than reading, including clicking a lamp and banging her head against the headboard. Watching someone be bored really shouldn’t be this much fun.
I like how Rainbow Dash gradually gets more sucked into the book as she reads it, and her narration reflects it. At first, the similarities between her situation and Daring Do’s threaten to be a bit much, but Dash’s line “I’m right there with ya sister” is self-aware enough to help diffuse the problem for me. Her later line “Whoa, who is this dude!?” is great. I love how the episode cuts to the line and then right back to the story, reflecting how much Dash doesn’t want to break away. It’s just fun seeing how wrapped up she is. Everyone can relate to the feeling of getting excited over something they didn’t expect to, wink wink, nudge nudge. I don’t know if this episode was an intentional homage to bronydom, but if not it’s a lucky coincidence.
The widescreen ratio, movie like filter, exciting music, and the fact that Daring is hindered by her injured wing, as well as the fact pace of the temple traps and real sense of danger from them make her segments surprisingly exciting. One thing moral focused kids shows really seem unable to do is these sorts of exciting scenes, but here it works. The animal floor trap expresses that Daring is intelligent as well as athletic. At this point in the series, I liked her more than Rainbow Dash, though Sleepless in Ponyville, Wonderbolts Academy, and Flight to the Finish all worked to change that. I’ve never seen an Indiana Jones movie, and get a weird feeling I wouldn’t like them, but I still noticed and enjoyed the references.
The eating scene is the closest the show ever gets to gross out, which is something I’m thankful for. Pointless gross out is just a way of trolling your audience as far as I’m concerned, and I hate trolling.
Ahuizotl is such a great name. It’s just so odd yet so fitting.
I don’t like the last third as much as the first two. I find Do’s escape a bit of a letdown and it’s a little odd that the moral continues to be not judging a book by its cover after doing something as extreme as breaking into a hospital. But I got a blast out of the first two thirds.

Love (18-1)
PONY PONY PONY PONY PONY PONY PONY PONY PONY PONY PONY PONY!

18. Bloom and Gloom (Season 5, Episode 4)
After this episode was the most excited I felt during season 5. Considering how dark and intense I found For Whom the Sweetie Belle Tolls, you can bet I felt the same way about this one, only I find this one even more interesting.
Bloom and Gloom has a lot of ground to cover, and brings Apple Bloom from zero to max level panic extremely quickly. If I have a complaint about this episode, it’s that it feels a bit frantic, but that does fit the story well. Apple Bloom develops a series of worries that fit the questions bronies have had about cutie marks. What if a pony gets a cutie mark they don’t like? What happens to the Crusaders when one pony gets their cutie mark and the others don’t? What does the Apple family think when a member doesn’t get an apple related mark? Seeing the episode address these questions was really interesting, and not something I’d expected the show to do. It helped make me content with the fact that we were in season 5 and still no cutie marks for the Crusaders.
It’s nice to get a Babs Seed mention, since it had been a while, and the face Apple Bloom makes before revealing the news about her cutie mark is fun.
The lullaby Applejack sings is sweet, and makes for a calm, heartwarming ending to a freaky episode. I remember appreciating it more than the songs in The Cutie Map or Castle Sweet Castle.
“I GOT MAH CUTIE MARK!!!” Even if it’s a dream, it’s satisfying to see her so excited.
In her nightmare, Apple Bloom is a pest pony destined to catch twittermites, and her skills at doing so are quite impressive. Since she’s dreaming, we don’t know if pest ponies and twittermites are real or something Apple Bloom’s imagination came up with, which is interesting if a tad frustrating. And they get so powerful that they explode Apple Bloom’s home, because seeing one character’s house blow up just wasn’t enough. I love this show.
I like how the old pest pony is just relieved to dump his crappy job off on Apple Bloom and get out as soon as possible. The line telling AB to stop asking questions poking fun at Parrot Speak is pretty great too.
Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon’s insults and Apple Bloom’s increasingly big retorts are pitch perfect. “My cutie mark isn’t the worst, you two are!” Satisfying.
The eerie voice Apple Bloom’s shadow has is hella cool.
The shot where Luna appears is just gorgeous. I adore the little camera turn as she flies up, and the way she alters Apple Bloom’s shadow using the moon is visually clever.
I like the theme of missing an obvious moral due to getting so wrapped up in one’s own worries. “But that’s so simple!” Sometimes it’s hard to believe that the simplest, most pleasant concepts could actually be true. It’s funny how much more true all those PBS Kids morals seem to me now as an adult than they did to me as a kid.
I’ve enjoyed Luna’s role as the dream guardian across these three episodes. Each one is high on my list. It’s nice that she’s willing to take a personal interest. Though I’m sure it’ll never happen, I think it’d be neat to see an episode about the first time she enters the dream realm and helps somepony.
Scootaloo taking an opportunity to fly is a heartwarming callback to Flight to the Finish. That plus the silly honk sound are a possibly unintentional set up for Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep, where the characters give themselves new dream abilities.

17. Sisterhooves Social (Season 2, Episode 5)
What a sweet episode this is. This was the first episode involving a Crusader that I liked, as Call of the Cutie was in the neutral zone until recent re-watching, and The Show Stoppers was deep in my bottom five until recently. Combined with my liking The Cutie Pox, I began thinking that episodes involving one Crusader would be the only ones I liked, until Ponyville Confidential and One Bad Apple proved me wrong.
Sisterhooves Social is a great character and an example of why this show works. Sweetie Belle comes to stay with Rarity, their personalities naturally clash, and they gradually learn to compromise and work it out because they care about each other. That’s a fine setup, but execution is everything, and there’s a lot to like about the execution here.
The episode wastes no time in expressing that Sweetie Belle has good intentions but tends to mess things up, as she sweetly wants to make her sister breakfast in bed but burns it, and in a bit of good humor doesn’t seem to notice. I particularly like the bowl of liquid burnt toast. The gag works because Sweetie so brightly and pleasantly informs Rartiy.
Rarity’s parents are interesting. They seem to be very down to earth, simple, humble folk, more like what I’d imagine Applejack’s never seen parents were like than Rarity‘s. I can’t know, but I imagine that they’re having an easier time raising Sweetie Belle than they had with Rarity, somepony they must’ve had a lot of trouble relating to. This is the first episode where we learn that Rarity and Sweetie Belle are related, or at least if it’s mentioned before I hadn’t noticed. (Just checked and it was in fact mentioned in The Show Stoppers. And it’s also mentioned at the beginning of Stare Master. Boy, I was oblivious.) Rarity is old enough to not have to live with her parents and be able to have her own occupation, yet she has a little sister who’s still around the beginning of puberty. It raises lots of interesting questions about pony ages and how long they have to attend school. The characters ages is one thing the show has never been explicit about, which is part of the blank slate appeal the show has which generates such enthusiastic fan work. The show is rich yet full of possibilities all at once.
Sweetie Belle asks to help with breakfast, and Rarity passive aggressively does all the work for her, only allowing her one small chore, and is so overbearing during that chore that it only works out by chance. It’s perfectly clear that while these two do not hate each other, there’s a lot wrong with their relationship.
Rarity is a likable and sympathetic character, so Sweetie Belle screwing things up so much could have been incredibly annoying to watch, but it’s balanced out by how much Sweetie is clearly just trying to help. “I was just trying to do something nice for my sister.” At one point she’s even doing what she can to stay out of the way, and it still doesn’t work out, so it’s easy to feel for her. It’s a bit rude to clean someone’s room for them without their knowing, as nice as that sounds on paper, yet at the same time, how was Sweetie Belle supposed to understand the concept of organized chaos? What I love about this episode is the emotional balance. It’s easy to understand why Rarity is annoyed by Sweetie Belle constantly screwing up, and it’s easy to see why Sweetie Belle is hurt by Rarity being such an overbearing perfectionist who would rather keep her out of the way than have any fun with her. Rarity has the excuse of having work to do, but if she compromised and planned to spend SOME time with her sister, there would have been fewer messes and she would have had less work to do. Sweetie Belle semi-messes up putting the garnish on the plate BECAUSE Rarity is being so overbearing. “We’re looking for perfection here.” This sort of balance of being able to understand and sympathize with both characters is something I imagine isn’t easy to pull off, and is necessary for a sibling rivalry episode that isn’t aiming mainly for jokes. This isn’t my favorite conflict between two characters in the show, but the one higher on the list is almost a guilty pleasure. Seeing Rarity get more and more stressed might be a bit stressful in itself, but to me that just makes the resolution at the end more satisfying.
Sweetie Belle hears about the Sisterhooves Social, and tells Rarity, “Any sister who cares about her sister goes.” She’s clearly near her breaking point and giving Rarity one more chance, but her sister doesn’t take her seriously, and Rarity doesn’t realize that she’s prioritizing not getting a little dirty over making her sister happy. But Sweetie Belle realizes it, and… I just love this. “Well then, maybe… maybe I’ll try the Sisterhooves Social without a sister. In fact, I think I’ll try the rest of my LIFE without a sister!” One of my favorite lines in the show. The episode up until this point built up to it perfectly. I like how for a brief moment Sweetie Belle is tearing up, but then she bitterly turns her sadness into rage. It feels so genuine. Also, I don’t know if the voice crack on LIFE was dumb luck or what, but somehow it adds so much to the impact of the line. The brief moment where her whole face becomes her mouth Charlie Brown style emphasizes the word without, and the little hop forward further emphasizes the word LIFE. It’s a classic blending of animation and voice acting. Other cartoons? Take notes.
Sweetie Belle gets to watch how Applejack and Apple Bloom act as sisters, and they clearly work very well together, which is part of how Somepony to Watch Over Me is a bit bewildering. The two of them have fun doing chores because they do it together and make a game of it. As someone who wanted to help Rarity with chores, Sweetie is clearly envious. When Apple Bloom messes up, Sweetie Belle worries that Applejack is going to be mean to her, in a moment that reminds me of in The Simpsons Movie when Bart assumes Ned Flanders is going to strangle him (come to think of it, that whole Bart story is similar to this), but Applejack very playfully messes with her instead. Although this is not mainly an Applejack story, it might be my favorite episode for her character. It’s when my best friend decided she was best pony.
Meanwhile, absence makes the heart grow fonder. Rarity finds uses for the things Sweetie Belle messed up, and is heart warmed by her picture. The feels in this scene are played over the top and goofy to keep them from being corny.
Rarity attempts a quick apology, but thankfully, slapping a band-aid on this conflict isn’t going to make it go away. Rarity needs to genuinely make an effort to improve, and in the meantime, Sweetie Belle chooses Applejack to be her new big sister in a scene that is the best kind of awkward, because neither Applejack nor Apple Bloom knew about this in advance. Applejack, being the humble sort, says “Hold on Sweetie Belle. Don’t get ahead of yourself.” awkwardly trying to put out this fire, while Apple Bloom is just possessive, having such a great big sister and all.
Rarity’s heart is in the right place, but her mind isn’t yet. She still wants to change Sweetie Belle into a miniature version of her and not compromise or adapt. All she knows is that she feels bad without her sister. Bad enough to be willing to try something new, after Applejack’s very in character apple related advice.
I find Apple Blooms “One. Day.” gag funny, as well as Granny Smith counting the number off every time her rocking chair leans forward, which is kind of brilliant.
The second Applejack fell in the mud, I knew what was going to happen, and was worried it would be too sugary, but when the mud came off and it was revealed to be Rarity, I was heart warmed, which is something I love to be.
Sibling rivalry stories are a dime a dozen, but there can’t be very many of them as good as this one.

16. Castle Sweet Castle (Season 5, Episode 3)
Let’s talk about pony reviewers for a quick mo. Like I said, they’re often called out for being negative nancy’s. It can feel like they’re complaining and nitpicking too much. But I’m sympathetic on two levels.
One, I think criticizing is easier than praising. For a start, it feels cooler. We’re brought up in a society that gets across the idea that cynicism and aggression are cooler than optimism and kindness. This might have something to do with mean spirited comedies typically being more well made and popular than PBS Kids type shows, which is one reason I’m so happy MLP: FiM is high quality. Plus, disliking something about a show feels like a problem, and analyzing why one dislikes it and expressing their feelings on it feels like problem solving. This example or may not apply to you, but on some level everyone enjoys or is satisfied by problem solving. Praising feels more unnecessary. When something feels enjoyable, it’s easier to just smile, go “that worked”, and move on. So, although I don’t always like it when brony reviews feel like their going at length in their negatives and being quick and not descriptive about their positives, I understand where they’re coming from. TheMysteriousMrEnter has admitted that he’s better at criticizing and praising, and this admittance goes a way towards me enjoying his work, as well as the fact that his criticism is designed to be constructive. He wants to help improve the medium of animation. Meanwhile, Digibro has admitted to being straight up subjective, and him expressing his opinion is him attempting to analyze why he feels about things the way that he does, which is a lot like what I do. In other words, good communication with the viewer is important, which is why I gave my introduction at the beginning. However, I try to keep a good balance, and make sure that with the episodes I like, I put the emphasis on why I like them and not drag out the points I dislike.
Two, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is a good show, and I think that ironically makes it easier to criticize than praise, if someone is reviewing it episode by episode. When I think about the bad things about the show, I think of specific episode things like the ending of Mare Do Well, or the moral of Feeling Pinkie Keen, or the plot of Spike at Your Service. When I think of the good things about the show, I think of all around things like the animation, voice acting, pacing, and songs. What’s a reviewer supposed to do? Explain why the animation, voice acting, etc. are good every single video? Sure, the story changes every episode, but so long as the story is logical and in character, it’s probably going to be good, with such a good backbone of animation, voice acting, etc. I think this is why some of Enter’s earlier Pony reviews can sound like plot summaries. Hopefully, I’ve managed to avoid that while giving my thoughts, and hopefully I’ve also avoided sounding nit picky.
This is all just building up to Castle Sweet Castle being the episode where I talk about liking the animation, since this is one of my favorite episodes visually. MLP: FiM has one of my favorite art styles. I never get tired of looking at ponies. I check the Drawfriend on Equestria Daily every day after all. I like the bright colors and simple but pleasant backgrounds of FiM. I like that the ponies are so symmetrical and varied in color. I like that the animation has the smoothness and consistency of CG animation but the charm and expressiveness of hand drawn animation. I like the ponies big dumb anime eyes that are half their faces, their manes and tails and butt stamps and pointy ears that flop down when they’re sad, their simple, floppy, fingerless arms, the fact that some have wings and others have horns, the way Rainbow Dash leaves a rainbow streak as she flies, the magic aura that appears around a unicorn’s horn, and the little mane flounce. In Castle Sweet Castle specifically, that early shot of Fluttershy’s house is gorgeous, like a painting, and Twilight’s castle has massively improved visually from Twilight’s Kingdom. The waterfall is really nice, and so is the sunrise and sunset, as well as all the cute little things the ponies do during Make This Castle a Home, like Pinkie’s exuberant slide down the stairs, or Rainbow mimicking her picture. Not to mention those awesome pancakes. Or the cute little animals getting baths. It’s a shame it didn’t turn out to be the season of pancakes, as predicted after Bloom and Gloom.
I really like this follow up to Twilight’s house getting destroyed. I wasn’t someone who was upset that happened, but I sympathize with the people who were (ridiculous petition aside), and Twilight’s behavior at the start of the episode seemed to exist for them, which made me happy. I just love seeing how much of an effect it had on her. The second she shows that first awkwardness and makes Angel dirty, I get it. I just love the whole early section of the episode so much. There’s something so oddly satisfying about seeing Twilight so strained that she doesn’t notice how filthy she is and falls asleep into a stack of pancakes.
I like the scrutiny with which Rarity checks her pancakes for a measuring spoon. The breakfast has just the right amount of dysfunction to it for this oddball group of characters, with Pinkie coughing up the spoon being the thing that wakes up Twilight from her crazy pancakes. “I’m pancake!” I like to imagine all their castle breakfasts are this entertaining.
As the nice friends they are, they aren’t really annoyed with Twilight for sticking around them so much. Just a bit weirded out and worried, and of course they discuss it amongst themselves to make sure no one’s imagining anything before moving on to asking Twilight what’s up. Twilight isn’t overly whiny in complaining about the castle, and admits it might sound silly, but she can’t help the way she feels and it’s understandable. Rarity magically pulling the pancakes away from Twilight before she can faceplant in them again is a nice detail.
Spike’s little Rarity plush is adorable. “I slept like a baby under that cold, cavernous ceiling.” Pfft, there was no reason for him so say it like that. I love ironic writing like this.
So, the song. I liked it fine the first time, but it felt a touch unnecessary, and I felt like I would’ve liked the episode even more without it. I think this had a lot to do with there also being a song in the premiere, and three Rainbow Rocks songs right before that. I was a bit song’d out. Now, Make This Castle a Home has grown on me more. “There’s nothing like balloons and confetti to great you every time you walk in the door” is my favorite line and the one I sing the most. It’s the season 5 song I find the catchiest, and it’s quite pleasant.
Pleasant is really the word for this episode, isn’t it? This is a pretty happy, huggy, cuddly, sweet, nice show in general, but this episode really takes it up to eleven, and that might be my favorite thing about it. It’s also well positioned to be such a thing too, coming right after the cult episode and right before a freaky nightmare episode. This juxtaposition is part of why I was most excited about season 5 right after Castle Sweet Castle and Bloom and Gloom. For a long time, I thought I was going to end up liking season 5 more than 4, but a string of episodes that are just barely in the like zone towards the end of the season, the fact that neither the premiere or finale are in the love section for the first time ever, and the fact that I don’t have a season 5 episode in the top ten, unlike every other season, made me decide that season 5 was my least favorite, even if I still really like it. I guess it’s just harder to be impressed five years in. Right after season 5 ended, I didn’t even feel excited for season 6, though that has changed.
So, are the mane six a bit dumb for trying to shove together a bunch of stuff they like into Twilight’s home? Yeah. When Rainbow Dash says “Why is this so hard?” it’s kind of a good question. I let it slide because they don’t show this kind of stupidity as much in newer seasons, and because I enjoy the episode’s tone and visuals so much.
The use of Bulk Biceps is enjoyably unexpected and over the top.
“But we can’t get rid of the confetti cannons! I don’t remember where I hid them.” I don’t think there’s a side character use of Pinkie in season 4 I liked as much as this. It was quite refreshing.
That scene where Twilight and Spike mourn the destroyed home for a moment. What’s the opposite of a necessary evil? Cause this feels like a necessary good. I can easily imagine that this is the first moment the creators thought of for this episode, and then they wrapped a story around it.
“Remember that time it got blown up to smithereens!?” Now here’s a bit of meaner comedy I can appreciate. Pinkie’s acting and expression are perfectly over the top and she immediately regrets it.
Spike holding Twilight up could’ve been annoying, but it works because he’s doing it for the right reasons.
The mane six digging up the charred remains of Twilght’s old home has a bit of a creepy vibe to it. It makes sense that Applejack questions if they’re sure about this idea, and that they look worried when Twilight first sees it. It’s an idea that could have just freaked her out, which is why I find it so satisfying when she’s heart warmed. I actually teared up when Twilight did. I don’t know where they got those memory gems, but they’re neat.
I like that the others still manage to add in all their own personal touches to the castle. It has thrones for all six of them and should suit all six of them.

15. Pinkie Pride (Season 5, Episode 11)
Ah, Pinkie Pride. So much fun. Such zany, silly, over the top Spongebob-esque splendor, with such big emotions and visual memorability. Great stuff.
I like Cheese Sandwich immediately from the first scene. Generally, I like him best when he’s doing his Clint Eastwood thing. The voice is great, and his seriousness is well juxtaposed by Boneless. More entertaining juxtaposition comes later when he’s learning against the wall in a stereotypical badass way with a party favor in his mouth. The guy just loves his irony.
Considering the existence of Winter Wrap Up, This Day Aria, The Magic Inside, all the other songs from this episode, and more, this might be a surprise, but Pinkie the Party Planner is my favorite MLP song. It’s simply the one that makes me smile the most. I love the rhythm, I love the choir for the townsponies, and I love the sheer happiness of it all. I don’t know how many times I’ve watched it. I don’t know how many times I’ve sang it. I don’t know what I find to be the catchiest MLP song, since SO many are SO catchy, but this is certainly competition. My mind is a bit blown by the fact that when Pinkie points at the screen to make the toddlers smile, rather than cringing, I smiled too. This show can make things work that never work, at least not for adults.
This episode clearly goes the extra mile with it’s visual touches, which include all the paints mixing together into a brown sludge, Pinkie’s extra simple super happy expressions while getting the banner, the lens flare behind the townsponies, the Rainbow Dash on the banner turning out to be the real Rainbow Dash, and that’s just in the first few minutes. The crazy clock hands in particular get across that this is going to be a loony episode, if it weren’t already apparent.
Cheese’s first song, with its fast paced visuals, bizarre transitions, and larger than life gags, almost feel like a whole other series. This is clearly a special episode, and a great display of how to treat a guest star right.
“But what about the super party pony named Pinkie?” Pinkie’s singing voice is often charming, but never has it sounded so pretty.
The mane six instantly transfer their attention and praise to Cheese Sandwich. Jeez, you’d think these girls would have learned by now that this is exactly the sort of thing that would break Pinkie’s heart. Twilight does at least go talk to her though, but is quickly dissuaded from worrying by some fake smiles and assurances.
Have I mentioned that season 4 has my favorite songs? Pinkie’s Lament is another one of my favorites. The title appears to be a reference to Jack’s Lament from The Nightmare Before Christmas, a song with the same down and up emotional structure. I like to sing this one when I’m feeling low, as the happy portion of the song helps lift my spirits. It’s wonderful that Pinkie isn’t completely broken at this point. Not only does she somehow manage to try a few new jobs that afternoon, but the memories of past parties lift her up and restore her confidence. In other words, the episode does a good job displaying both Pinkie’s vulnerabilities and strengths. It’s also good that Pinkie’s regaining of her confidence is not an automatic solution to the conflict of the episode, as it’s more complex than that. And of course, all those references to past parties are good continuity. Pinkie singing on her balcony in the light is one of the most visually iconic moments of the series for me. I like that the song transitions into the rhythm of Pinkie the Party Planner to further display her restored confidence, which makes sense, and the episode does it again later when Pinkie and Cheese join forces.
“I challenge you… TO A GOOF OFF!” Not sure if that animation is a reference to Ren and Stimpy or .MOV. The shots between the legs and the bizarre under the face shot convey the bizarre epicness surrounding the goof off. If anything, much of the goof off underwhelms me after such a huge build-up. However, Cheese riding that giant cheese wheel is another of the series’ most iconic visual moments in my book (the slide whistle has everything to do with it), and I was impressed to learn that Cheese copying Pinkie’s song is a reference to Weird Al’s work. The writers did their homework, didn’t they?
“Big, tense competition on my birthaversery. What could be better?” Poor Dashie.
The moments where Cheese and Pinkie point to Boneless and Gummy during the competition really show the animators pushing their skills to the limit in terms of conveying realism. Bravo.
Pinkie realizing on her own without being told that Rainbow Dash isn’t having a good time is Pinkie at her most likable. In a season where she sometimes seems oblivious to the feelings of others, despite what she sings in the Smile song, here the feelings of her friend are more important to her than winning the rivalry with Cheese. Miming the Pinkie promise was a nice touch.
The ponies have their little apologies, and Cheese’s Confession starts, which I actually like more than his first song, or his singing in the goof off. The reveal that Cheese learned his special talent from Pinkie is clever, heart warming, and puts the entire episode into a new perspective.
Pinkie Pride re-uses a lot of words and phrases. “Super duper party pony” is a good example. It’s not really a pro or con for me, just another thing contributing to this episode not feeling like any other. I would say that each season feels a little bit different, but I wouldn’t say that Pinkie Pride feels specifically like any season. It’s its own thing.
The party really does look awesome, even to someone like me who doesn’t touch parties with a ten foot pole, Make a Wish is catchy, and the episode ends on a good laugh. Fun times.

14. Twilight’s Kingdom (Season 4, Episode 25-26)
If I have a complaint about Twilight’s Kingdom, it’s that I don’t get very attached to Twilight’s “smile and wave” problem. That lack of emotional attachment is why this finale isn’t as high as the first three. I find the episode takes a few minutes to get off the ground. Halfway through You’ll Play Your Part is when I start to like it. Before that though, I do like the callback to The Crystal Empire, and Rarity’s good natured jab at Rainbow Dash’s ego.
Although I don’t find Twilight’s personality very interesting in Twilight’s Kingdom, I do find her role interesting. Throughout season 4, Twilight’s role as a Princess didn’t seem to mean very much, which at the time felt like a problem, but then Twilight’s Kingdom pointed that out and made it part of the story, which I was very grateful for. And really, it makes sense that Twilight didn’t do very much in season 4. Her transformation into a Princess was sudden. Before that, she was used to guidance from Celestia. Out of nowhere, she was cut loose. I feel like during season 4, Twilight was on standby, awaiting orders. I see the second half of You’ll Play Your Part as the other Princesses saying, “It’s YOUR life now. Do what you want. Find your own path.” After Magical Mystery Cure, I was already thinking of Twilight as the Princess of Friendship, but it takes Twilight until Twilight’s Kingdom to adjust and take on this role, which makes sense to me. I also think it was to help bronies who hadn’t been ready for Twilight to become a Princess in season 3 to adjust. This wasn’t so great for me, as I’d loved Magical Mystery Cure, didn’t need any adjusting, and wanted Twilight to get on with doing Princess things right out of the gate. I had to wait until season 5, where we see things like her dealing with the yaks in Party Pooped, pleasantly introducing herself as the Princess of Friendship in The Hooffields and McColts, and talking down Starlight Glimmer in The Cutie Re-Mark, all of which I enjoyed seeing. I might have found Twilight kind of boring in season 4, but I understand why it is the way it is, I like the look at her role in Twilight’s Kindgom, and I enjoy more Twilight stuff in season 5.
I might not like the first half of You’ll Play Your Part, with Twilight whining in the other Princesses faces, but the second half… oh man. “Know that your time is coming soon. As the sun rises, so does the moon. As love finds a place in every heart, you are a Princess, you’ll play your part.” I don’t know how many times I’ve sung that. Many, many times. Stuck in my head for life. The Mystery Orchestral Remix helped. I don’t usually like remixes, but I’ve listened to that one a billion times, and the things I imagine are really buttnutz and over the top. Crazy transitions and dancing and trapezes and confetti and big camera turns. I love my imagination sometimes. At any rate, I really like the second half of the song. Seeing all three other Princesses sing at the same time is a treat. The part I quoted has a wonderful sound to it, and it’s sweet the way they’re encouraging Twilight. (I’ve used the word sweet a bunch. Maybe my favorite thing about MLP is that it’s sweet.) I also like the symmetry that comes from Celestia and Luna being the Princesses of the sun and moon, and Cadence and Twilight being the Princesses of love and friendship. I know that people were complaining about there being a lack of symmetry in the mane six when Twilight got her wings, but this feels right to me. The shot of Celestia, Luna, and Cadence hovering above Twilight is one of the most memorable in the series for me. I find it extremely iconic. “Soon will come the day it turns around!” Mmm, Cadence sounds good there.
In a dramatic scene, we’re introduced to Tirek, who already feels intimidating. It’s quickly established he can suck the magic out of a pony and this increases his size and power. Tirek is my third favorite antagonist in the series, after Discord and Diamond Tiara. Celestia awakes, apparently having had a vision. Celestia having visions could actually explain some things. Luna appears, having been aware of her sister’s dream vision in a solid bit of continuity. It’s nice that the storybook style from the pilot appears to tell us the story of Tirek and Scorpan, and I like the story as well. It would have been boring if every member of Tirek’s race were evil. It’s neat that even though we never really see Scorpan, we hear just enough to get a sense of him. In a friggin’ awesome bit of continuity, Cerberus leaving his post in It’s About Time is brought up. I thought it was weird in that episode how little a deal that was. For it to have an effect over two seasons down the line is great.
It’s sweet that when Twilight opts to go to the Castle of the Two Sisters, clearly depressed, her friends decide to tag along to keep her company. They really have a sense of closeness. I was bugged early on in season 4 when all six of them were going EVERYWHERE together. I mean, don’t they have jobs? But after a while, it just seemed kind of nice how attached at the hip they are. To some extent, it’s hard to imagine their lives before they were all besties.
Discord appears with the usual hammy goodness. This is my third favorite appearance of the character, after The Return of Harmony and Princess Twilight Sparkle. He helps the mane six out with the journal hint, but does so in his own obnoxious way. Him feigning ignorance about the rules of friendship feels like something one would put in a fan fiction. I’m kind of stunned it’s in the show. As mentioned, I like the gag of him beginning to speed away on his Pee-Wee’s Playhouse bike before just teleporting, and there’s something about the line “I’ll bring the cucumber sandwiches!” Just… something. It’s nice that he genuinely seems to enjoy spending time with Fluttershy.
Discord confronts Tirek. His head split is pretty badass. But Tirek wins him over (or possibly just appears to win him over) with his charisma, which is why I like him more than Nightmare Moon, Chrysalis, or Sombra. It feels like the way he speaks has more personality to it. Some feel that Discord is kind of pussified in this episode, and I see where they’re coming from. But the way I see it, the claim that Discord has gone soft is the one that the BAD guy is making. The fact that there’s a nugget of truth to it is why he’s charismatic. I don’t feel Discord is forced to abandon his true nature. In Make New Friends, he gets to live in his own weird chaos zone, and in What About Discord, the mane six enjoy his tricks and jokes. He’s just not allowed to take over the world anymore, and is that really such a cruel expectation? Ultimately, Discord can be taken a lot of different ways in this episode, and I think that’s on purpose. There’s a lot of leeway to consider in terms of just what’s going on in Discord’s head in Twilight’s Kingdom. The first time I saw it, I thought he was just confused and didn’t know what to do and felt pulled in multiple directions. I mean, the guy was turned to stone for a thousand years, released, turned back to stone, released again and offered friendship but threatened with stone again if he acted chaotic, but then some new guy appears and offers him the chance to be chaotic again. I don’t know about you guys, but I’d be feeling pretty confused! Now, I’m not sure what to think. I do not have a specific head canon on this.
I really like that Tirek knows of Discord and considers him legendary for his chaotic actions.
It’s a nice little touch that birds are holding Fluttershy’s book for her.
The scene recounting the key stories isn’t the most exciting, but is a necessary evil. Really, it’s not too long and I don’t mind it. It’s nice that the episode rewards the mane six for sticking to their Elements of Harmony even after putting them in the Tree of Harmony. It’s a shame that the Tree rewards them with a really ugly version of the Elements of Harmony, but still, it feels like the creators only put it on screen for as long as they were forced to, and it only shows up for like five seconds in season 5 (and in a pretty cool scene too). Rainbow Power is a nitpick in my book and I feel the episode earned it. What’s also nice is that the key stories have a theme of the mane six helping others learn friendship morals, which leads very well into the Cutie Map, which, like the chest, was also provided by the Tree of Harmony. Gosh, this all fits together really well the more I think about it. Whoever planted that Tree back a gillion years ago sure solved a lot of problems for the writers. If the mane six were still learning the same morals over and over without progressing, the show would get stale. Instead, two things happened. Episodes started appearing where the moral wasn’t as much the focus as before. And in season 5 a theme of the mane six traveling Equestria and teaching friendship to others rather than learning it themselves began. And the mane six did change. Twilight and Rarity are much more mellow. Rainbow Dash is more mature. Fluttershy knows how to put her hoof down without being mean. Applejack is more stern. I’m not sure what that last one has to do with the morals, but it could just be her getting older, which would still make sense. And Pinkie Pie… is more annoying? Whatever. I’m saying overall, I feel the writers have done a good job evolving both the characters and the show, even if I don’t like seasons 4 and 5 on the same level as 1-3.
Man, I remember the first time I saw Rarity Takes Manehattan. I was all disappointed that they’d barely done anything with the key arc yet, and I didn’t figure out that the eye shimmer and spool of thread had something to do with it for a little while. Now I’m getting all nostalgic. It wasn’t even that long ago!
Fluttershy’s key unfurling like a flower is so much cooler than the other keys. Why does hers get to be special?
I like Rarity resting her arm on Spike’s head, like she’s taking a little moment to give him attention.
The shot of Twilight zooming to Canterlot is hella cool, though her skid marks on the carpet just look weird.
I like when Discord is helping out Tirek, he does so in his own trickster, Discord-y way.
“I thought our friendship meant something to him! I thought he had changed!” Really Twilight? You and the other girls, sans Fluttershy, weren’t super nice to him. I mean, he was kind of a dick too, but, well, that’s why this whole thing is so muddled!
I find it very interesting seeing Pegasus flight and earth pony strength counted as magic. More than any other episode, I feel like no other show could do this episode. It’s too strongly tied into the concepts of this series. I feel like the series needed an episode this plot heavy in order to continue making any sense, and I consider this possibly the most plot heavy episode of the series.
The Princesses’ plan to give up their magic sounds pretty dumb until part 2 begins and they say they’re giving it to Twilight. It’s still not a very nice plan, but they’re desperate. I like how close Tirek gets to conquering the world.
Twilight takes on the magic because Tirek might not know of her yet and because she’s the Element of Magic. Makes sense to me.
The sight of three weak Princesses and a glowy electric Twilight help get across how much has been lost and gained respectfully. It appears that receiving all that magic either hurt or was just overwhelming, as Twilight cries a bit and runs in for physical comfort from Celestia.
The sun and moon darting all over the sky is a great loony visual. I like that Twilight gaining all that power wasn’t just for the big fight scene. It affects her flying and teleportation beforehand. Seeing her appear in random places is also a fun visual.
I like how physically imposing Tirek gets, with his thundering hoof steps and breaking down Celestia’s door. The sight of three alicorns tossed into Tartarus displays how real shit has gotten.
“I didn’t. I really didn’t.” Poor Fluttershy.
So, Tirek betrays Discord, and Discord repeats Fluttershy’s words. Like I said, there’s a lot of ways to take this. One could say that Discord just didn’t know what the hell he was doing, as I thought the first time. One could take it at face value, and say that Discord planned to rule alongside Tirek, and was completely blindsided by this. One could say that Discord was trying to help the mane six, but was still blindsided by the betrayal. In this case, I would imagine that when he says “I’m sorry” to Fluttershy, he’s thinking “I’m sorry I got captured. I had a plan and it didn’t work.” One could say that Discord was trying to help the mane six, and knew the betrayal would come, but knew that the gift from Tirek would act as a key: “I just needed some assurance that you considered this a team effort, and now I have it.” in which case his “I didn’t. I truly didn’t” is just really good acting. Hell, you could take that a step further. Ready for this? Maybe FLUTTERSHY was in on it and her tears and “I didn’t. I really didn’t.” is just great acting on her part. Or it could be something in between any of those options. It’s neat that Megan McCarthy left this so open to interpretation, and it’s because of that that I haven’t developed a head canon. I kind of like it open.
Then Twilight’s house blows up. That was quite the surprise. I really like the perspective from the telescope. The main character’s home of four seasons is now just gone. The fact that some people were torn enough to start a dumb petition just goes to show the moment was effective, and based on Castle Sweet Castle, it clearly had an effect on Twilight. In the moment though, she’s just pissed. Do I buy that Twilight’s adrenaline rush was enough for her to get in control of her magic? Yes I do. Some said the fight was pointless and the episode could have gone right to the trade. They must have missed the expression on Twilight’s face. Bitch is not ready to negotiate. I don’t think Tirek wanted to trade until he knew he couldn’t beat Twilight also. The fight scene is flashy, visually varied, and the most epic looking thing in the series. I really like it. It didn’t surprise me as much as the fight in A Canterlot Wedding, and I didn’t find it as visually creative, but it’s still something I’m happy the show did, just to push this cutesy little girls show to its maximum cool factor. So, the magic of four alicorns handled by an inexperienced pony is the equal of all the other magic in the world, assuming that Tirek did go after absolutely everypony. Kind of scary. It’s a good thing the alicorns aren’t evil. I almost want to see a fan fic where Princess Flutter Heart takes over the world, and doesn’t change her cutesy name.
Twilight’s eyes do the rainbow shimmer thing, even though I have no idea what the heck she learned.
Wait.
Wait a damn second. Lightning bolt as I’m typing this.
If Discord was planning to give Twilight the key, could Twilight have figured that out on the spot based on him helping her with the journal at the start of the episode and the new object hanging around his neck? And that could be why she so earnestly demands Discord’s release. What she learns is to trust him! (Though if so, that doesn’t exactly carry over well into season 5.) It would fit in with the season 4 theme of Discord consistently punishing Twilight for not trusting him. I imagine that in this case, Discord didn’t plan on being betrayed, or if he did plan on being betrayed, he was counting on Twilight to figure it out. And note at the end how it’s Twilight who levitates Discord over for the group hug. If this is the case, and Twilight figured it out on the spot, then I consider that the coolest thing Twilight has done as a Princess, and I consider this one of the most cleverly written kids episodes of all time. It also dispels a bit of the oddness that the mane six only get close to Discord after he’s betrayed them.
Okay, I’m moving this episode up from 16th to 14th. The way that fits is just so cool.
I wonder if Megan McCarthy has one specific way in her head that this episode works and left it open ended for people to figure it out, or if it’s open ended even to her. If it’s all an accident, I would be disappointed.
Tirek gets huge, and there’s a nice shot of him blasting some trees.
Ugly Rainbow Power saves the day. Twilight’s castle was also a bit of an eyesore at the time. I like its appearance much more in season 5. I really liked the throne room. I wasn’t one who felt it was unfair for just Twilight to become a Princess when her friends helped too, but the thrones really make them feel like a team in this friendship business. It’s was a really nice touch that even Spike got his own throne. He deserved the acknowledgement.
“Where’s my throne?” “I don’t think you’re quite there yet.” Yes, Discord does indeed have a lot to learn. How much he had at this point is open to interpretation. Anyway, like this dialogue.
A pleasant little song rounds us off. It plus the picture felt like it would’ve been a nice moment to end the series, but I’m happy we got season 5. Cutie marks yo.
I really like how well Twilight’s Kingdom wraps up season 4 and sets the stage for season 5. Arcs in Discord’s reformation and Twilight’s princesshood begun in season 3 are wrapped up here, with the castle, throne room, and Twilght’s role as the Princess of Friendship lighting the spark for a new season.
Simply put, Twilight’s Kingdom gets a lot done in 40 minutes, and there were explosions to boot.

13. Party Pooped (Season 5, Episode 11)
Oddly enough, my favorite episode of season 5 is the sometimes hated, sometimes liked alright, rarely loved Party Pooped. I can see where people who didn’t like it are coming from. This episode is all over the place. The Yak smashing happens over and over, and one has to wonder why ponies would even want to be friends with these guys. Pinkie’s journey can largely come off as pointless. Whatever message or moral it had is kind of buried under a bunch of random stuff, but in a dumb fun episode, that’s often how I like it, and this is certainly a dumb fun episode, and in fact my favorite dumb fun episode. In MMMystery on the Friendship Express, I feel like I’m supposed to care about the Cakes winning the competition, or at least on some level I feel like I’m supposed to care about the competition, so the fact that I don’t bugs me, which prevents me from having fun. In Party of One and Lesson Zero, I’m supposed to be laughing, but I can’t help but take their descents into madness seriously. In Over a Barrel, I feel like I’m supposed to give a damn about the conflict between the buffalo and cowboys, so I can’t get in on the stupid fun. Caring and dumb fun don’t seem to go together for me. (The episodes that seem to do the most blending of caring and dumb fun for me are Daring Don’t, Read it and Weep, and Pinkie Pride.) The fact that I see the Spike conflicts in Just For Sidekicks and Power Ponies as throwaway plots designed to get fun off the ground is what allows me to have fun. Me not really caring about whether or not Dash gets a pet in May the Best Pet Win allows me to have fun. When people are quote un quote “taking something too seriously”, some say they need to “switch their brain off” and just enjoy it. I don’t know exactly what that means or how someone is expected to do it on purpose. When I care about something or feel that I ought to care about something, my brain automatically “switches on” In Party Pooped, I don’t care about the Yaks or what Pinkie learns. My brain is “switched off” and I just enjoy it.
This is my popcorn episode. Really, this isn’t what I look for out of entertainment and it’s not an example of why I love this show so much. All I know is that this was the most fun I had watching a Pinkie episode. Apparently the development of this episode really got down to the wire and they were changing things last second. It shows. The Yaks smash stuff, cause why not? Fluttershy’s animals almost get murdered, cause why not? Pinkie slides across Equestria on a sled screaming one word, cause why not? Pinkie has a secret underground base, cause why not? War apparently almost gets declared, cause why not? Throw it in. This episode is so loony. Maybe I would understand the appeal of Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry more if I liked them like I like this. Sure, this episode might be a clusterfuck, but sometimes I like clusterfucks. Spider-Man 3 and Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End are good examples.
Twilight takes it upen herself to open relations with another nation. This is the most Princess-y thing I’ve seen her take the initiative to do, and all I can say is more in season 6, please. This is what I wanted after Magical Mystery Cure.
When the Yaks walked in and that music played, I immediately got a good feeling. I like their designs. And then they just started wrecking shit, and I was grinning. It’s so wonderfully stupid. I honestly didn’t get sick of it even though I knew they were repeating it too much.
I like that Pinkie read that expansive book on the Yaks Twilight recommended when no one else did. It’s good continuity with her surprise like of reading from Read it and Weep, and compliments how her abilities just seem to go BEYOND other ponies.
I like the message that it’s better to show guests what’s great about your home rather than trying to replicate theirs. I guess it’s not completely buried. Really, it’s impossible to exactly replicate someone’s home, which compliments how in Castle Sweet Castle, they didn’t just shove Twilight’s castle full of books, and went with a different option instead.
I like how the Yak’s find Fluttershy’s animals cute and cry at the party. They clearly have a soft spot under all that anger. Maybe the ponies can get them to show it more often.
“Hold your frown face!” They’re so delightfully serious about everything.
So much crazy faces and yelling. Sometimes the ponies over the top freakouts exasperate me a bit, but not here because I don’t care, so I just enjoy it.
“It’s what I do when I’m not nervous!” Pfft. I dig.
Gummy trying to catch that fly outside the window is a nice little gag. He’s so nonchalant. His mute nature compliments Pinkie well. Him giving Twilight that letter illustrates some initiative despite his usual attitude of not giving a fuck. He’s kind of an interesting character. I’m really not sure if Angel or Gummy is my favorite pet anymore.
“But I did find a set of Granny Smith’s dentures under the house, so not a complete loss.” This line of dialogue so random and pointless, which isn’t very Pony, but it fits this episode well. It’s almost more like American Dad dialogue than Pony dialogue.
“If Pinkie Pie says she’ll be back in time for the party, she’ll be back.” Nice display of trust there.
“We’ve never needed a party so badly.” I like how essential Pinkie is.
Pinkie’s serious rant to herself and her “know what I mean” gag amuse me. I like the guy who just shakes his head. To think the fate of Equestria is partially in the hooves of such a silly pony.
After the cart goes off the ravine, the episode just cuts away, cause the episode knows that you know they’re not going to die, maintaining the silly vibe.
It’s a shame Spike wasn’t really playing that piano. Just can’t catch a break.
“Music… beautiful!” Pffft. These angry beasts of destruction are such saps.
I might be a cynical, overly serious dude who spent half my life emo and hating humanity, and even I can enjoy seeing a yak body slam a piano.
“We declare WAR!” Well! That’s one way to raise the stakes!
Beatles reference, cause why not? Throw it in. Pinkie being able to do so much in one day was already ridiculous, so might as well push it up to eleven and make a joke out of it.
Hello Cadence.
Goodbye Cadence.
Pinkie hears a roar and sees evil eyes glowing out of a dark cave. Her response? “Hi, my name is Pinkie Pie!” Love it.
I really thought that either Pinkie wouldn’t reach Yakyakistan, or she would get inside and bring something back like she planned, so for her to get there and not get inside was surprising and funny, and her sliding right back to where she started is classic cartoon creativity. The pointlessness (or so it seemed) of her journey reminded me of the journey to India in Homer and Apu. Actually, a lot about this episode reminds me of season 5 Simpsons.
Pinkie sliding up the slide is one of those perfectly Pinkie cartoon visuals. I need not even say anything about deadpan Fluttershy, as even people who disliked the episode seemed to enjoy that.
Twilight’s innocent little smile when Celestia overhears that war almost got declared. More Twilight and Celestia stuff like that might be nice. Would probably be easier in a flashback though, and MLP usually keeps it’s head in the present.
I like the Yak with the balloons tied to his horns. It’s silly looking. What a silly, silly episode.

12. Suited For Success (Season 1, Episode 14)
Rarity is something of a hard sell as a character because at first glance she’s the sort of character a male would be afraid that every character in this show would be. Vain, pampered, obsessed with appearances… essentially Georgette from Oliver and Company, one of my least favorite characters, and the first thing I think when I think of Rarity done wrong. However, Suited For Success proved that Rarity could make for just as enjoyable an episode as the other girls could. Not only that, but it was an episode about dresses, and had a song about sewing, and it was still enjoyable for men. In other words, it was an important success.
The story is quite clever. Rarity makes beautiful dresses for their friends, but they’re rejected, not because they aren’t great dresses, but because her friends have their own crazy ideas about what they want. Rarity’s devotion to giving her friends exactly what they want is endearing and really shows that first appearances can be deceiving when it comes to her character. The others can come across as selfish, but learn their lesson in the end, and their wariness to tell Rarity the truth when they see the first set of dresses and aren’t pleased is great, with Rainbow Dash’s blunt “Mine’s just not as cool as I was imagining” cutting the tension in a brash way.
The song is among the show’s best, divided into sections for the first and second sets of dresses, and flowing in and out of dialogue seamlessly, which I would bet is harder than it looks. I’m not sure how they got Hoity Toity to come back for the second fashion show, but the show they put on is visually impressive, and how I imagine the ponies would look if summoned Final Fantasy style.
Ultimately, it’s an episode that not only boasts a believable character conflict and excellent song, but it demands a lot of respect for Rarity as a character. She’s not a lazy wimp, she’s not stupid, and she’s not just playing dress up. Fashion is her artistic passion, and something she works hard at. She becomes so exhausted by the end of Art of the Dress that she simply collapses to the floor, because pretty dresses don’t just magically appear out of thin air. They take designs and drawing and measuring and inspiration. Suited For Success shows people that fashion doesn’t have to be shallow. Rarity puts both her heart and mind into it. And of course the episode has the other characters personalities nailed down, which is important as the whole idea is that they ask for the dresses to reflect their personality at the expense of good taste. Fluttershy’s long, nit picky rant plays with her unassertive personality in a fun way. Applejack demands functionality from an outfit not designed for work. And Rainbow Dash… well, you know.
And have you ever noticed something? Most of this episode takes place in the same room or two, and yet it never gets boring.

11. A Canterlot Wedding Part 1 (Season 2, Episode 25)
I like part 2 more than part 1, so that’ll come later.
A very lovely idyllic shot opens the episode, then is entertainingly juxtaposed with Spike’s frantic running. I like that there’s no explanation as to why they’re having a picnic, as there’s no need for it I also like the visual acting as Twilight shows confusion at the word wedding. She’s not upset yet, just a tiny bit thrown off. The main six are quickly doled out jobs relating to their talents, and then twist, Twilight has a brother! Can I buy that she’s never mentioned him before? Yes I can. Generally my friends, even close friends, haven’t spent much time talking to me about their siblings.
I adore Twilight’s anger. I can completely buy the reason for her being upset. Not telling a close sibling in advance you’re getting a married is a big deal, and Twilight doesn’t let Shining off the hook for it. I enjoy the song. I always like those sorts of acoustics and Twilght’s pretty singing voice. It’s nice that we’re five minutes into the episode and there haven’t been any epic vibes. The episode starts off emotional and character focused, so that by the time the more dramatic stuff sets in, I care.
“Best wedding EVER!” Good job Pinkie. Her snorting out confetti is totally in character and charming, as she pays it no mind.
Shining Armor blends being a cool bro and a serious captain, not going so far in either direction as to be eye rolling or boring. Shining displays his cool force field powers to Twilight, displaying the gravity of the situation. Though Twilight is still hurt that she wasn’t informed of the wedding in advance, she softens greatly seeing this, lowering her emotions at a believable rate. And he knows she’ll forgive him once he asks to be her best mare, as his tiny smile indicates. On a side note, that tiny smile is my best friend’s favorite moment in the series out of the approximately forty episodes that he’s seen, and then he hated This Day Aria. Weird, right?
Am I bothered that Cadence is an alicorn? Not at all. Alicorns are cool, and having another one didn’t diminish that cool for me. I like that there’s a Princess of Love. I also think it’s interesting that an alicron was Twilight’s foal sitter. I imagine Celestia had something to do with that. And Cadence says Twilight is anything but a regular old unicorn, which makes it sound like she knows Twilight has a special destiny.
If there’s one thing in A Canterlot Wedding that bugs me, it’s that Twilight says Shining Armor was her only friend growing up, but then she clearly has something a lot like friendship with Cadence. I’ve seen people go on forever explaining plot holes in this episode, none of which I take issue with. Why does Chrysalis make a threat against Canterlot in advance? I dunno. Cause she’s stupid? Maybe she’s just not great at taking over places. I’d be okay with that. But then the one thing I do have an issue with I’ve never seen anyone bring up.
But whatever. The sunshine sunshine dance is cute, and when Twilight tries it in front of Imposter Cadence, it’s the best kind of awkward, as she waves her ass in her face.
There are a lot of big pans around Canterlot, especially when Celestia or Luna are involved. They give the episode a wide scope feeling without trying too hard.
Cadence acts cold, fake, and demanding throughout the day as Twilight watches. (I like how Applejack is able to make Twilight perk up for just a moment with her treat.) However, she generally has decent excuses. A princess in Canterlot isn’t the sort whom it seems would like down home country food. The dresses are made for her wedding and she has the right to be picky. And Pinkie’s reception is quite childish looking. (Pinkie being so naïve about Cadence’s sarcasm is one of my favorite moments from her character.) This leads to the wonderful emotional balance in the argument Twilight has with her friends that night. It’s easy to see why one would find Cadence an unfit candidate to marry their brother based on what we’ve seen so far. But the ways that Twilight’s friends stick up for Cadence are logical, as is the notion that Twilight’s being possessive. I love it when a show can strike this sort of emotional balance where I can see both sides, just like in Sisterhooves Social. This is also when Twilight went back to being my favorite pony, Fluttershy having taken the role for a while after Lesson Zero. I appreciate that her reasons for being paranoid are more sensible this time.
Rainbow Dash’s fussiness over her bridesmaid outfit not being aerodynamic is one of a huge number of little character touches throughout the series that make this cast so well realized, believable, and relatable. I’m just gushing at this point. I guess we really are close to the top ten now.
The reasons for Twilight to be paranoid pile up, leading to the confrontation at the wedding rehearsal, which is, again, the best kind of awkward. Twilight’s heart is in the right place, and she ultimately ends up being right, but she gets her point across in the worst possible way. “Because you’re evil! EVIL!” This scene feels more like a live action drama than any other in the series I can think of, lending it a sense of maturity. Shining Armor’s explanations for Cadence’s behavior are logically sound, and his heart is in what he’s saying, to the point that I began to wonder if Twilight really was wrong, which made the twist that Cadence was in fact evil quite the jaw dropper. Perhaps if I’d stopped to think about the fact that there was going to be a part 2 and it couldn’t just be twenty minutes of Twilight apologizing, I would’ve seen the twist coming, but the important thing is that I was so sucked into what was going on that I didn’t. This is engaging and surprising drama, and it’s about to get a lot bigger and a lot more Disney.

10. Filli Vanilli (Season 4, Episode 14)
This is the Fluttershy episode I always wanted ever since I saw that butter yellow Pegasus barely able to say her own name back in episode one. Fluttershy is my second favorite pony, but I agree with the consensus that she hasn’t always gotten the best episodes. Hurricane Fluttershy is a fan favorite, and isn’t entirely unlike Filli Vanilli, but that episode just didn’t do it for me the same way this one did.
It opens with Fluttershy singing. Her movements are quite extravagant, which sets up her accident later. She feels comfortable enough around her animals to express herself, but not around ponies.
“Wow, I’ve never seen you sing a solo like that before.” Some people complain that the others have heard Fluttershy sing before, but I don’t know if they’ve ever heard her solo before this point. Could be wrong. It really feels like she was giving it her all here in a way that she normally isn’t around other ponies. That’s how I like to see it.
So, the infamous Pinkie Pie making Fluttershy cry scenes. I find it slightly annoying, and that’s pretty much it. It’s clear that the point was to further get what Fluttershy was afraid of across to the audience, while also attempting a bit of meaner humor that clearly backfired for many, which I can understand, disgusting death threats aside (which have actually soured my enjoyment of this episode, not that I‘d let that change my ranking). Season 4 Pinkie had been bugging me for a while, so I appreciated that the others were actually reacting to her behavior, hitting her with a newspaper and glaring at her. I also enjoy this exchange: “Wait, didn’t I say that?” “Hardly.” I appreciate this attempt to indicate that it was an honest mistake. I also think it’s funny just hearing Pinkie say “dude” and I like the way Twilight magically pulls Pinkie back at the end, like she’s thinking “we’ve really gotta work on this.”
I knew I was in love when Fluttershy responded to Rarity’s pushiness with a firm “No”. It’s a perfect example of being assertive without being mean, a la Putting Your Hoof Down, and not letting peer pressure get to you, a la Bats. In other words, it’s a wonderful example of character development, and a trend I’m happy to have seen continue in season 5. Rarity hates to see great talent go to waste, but as a good friend, she’s understandable.
I have an issue with the pacing early on. The episode explains about the Ponytones lightning quick, so that I had to pause to take it in, but then takes it’s time explaining that Fluttershy has stage fright, something one could have guessed. After this though, the pacing is silky smooth.
The song is lovely. Sticking Big Mac’s low brass voice and Rarity’s eloquent high notes in a barbershop group was a wonderful idea. Fluttershy clearly has an urge to perform, but can’t get over her anxiety. Her little butt shake to the music is cute.
“It is wonderful when a plan comes together without any sort of drama, isn’t it?” And this is why we should all be happy not to live in a TV show.
Everypony gasping at Big Mac losing his voice like it’s the end of the world is a bit eye rolling.
In a largely serious episode, the turkey call competition adds a nice bit of pure silliness. It’s almost like the show poking fun at the massive number of events and celebrations it has. Rarity is not impressed.
It’s awkwardly humorous how after they run off for Zecora’s the two not important ponies just stand there.
The poison joke is a wonderful example of continuity. It’s not just a quick reference, and greatly services the plot.
Zipporwhill is an endearing little ball of energy and I wouldn’t mind seeing her appear again.
Fluttershy is shown to be incredibly weird in this episode, as she would rather sing backstage behind a curtain than in front of a crowd. The montage is just the perfect length, letting us get used to the strangeness of the concept without it getting old. The ridiculousness of Fluttershy singing from inside a barrel or through a straw does a great job of paralleling how ridiculous it is that Fluttershy would rather go to such great lengths than sing in front of others. However, it seems that deep down, she does want to perform and be applauded. Her movements behind stage become more and more extravagant, mirroring her performance with her animals at the beginning of the episode. One moment where she’s rocking back and forth on her hooves is just about the cutest thing in the world.
I like the quick cartoony rush as the animals are all taken out of the pen. The episode remembers that the pet fundraiser is the spark for the conflict, but also knows that it isn’t why we care, so they get it over with quickly.
Fluttershy goes overboard and is found out. The creepy floating black and white heads are right in line with the eyes from Hurricane Fluttershy, only I prefer this visually. The way the line of sight is like spotlights fits both Fluttershy’s fears and the stage performance story. The noises Fluttershy makes as she runs out are very odd. I suppose that if Fluttershy had her normal voice then they would’ve been her usual little gasps and squeaks.
The back and forth Applejack and Big Mac have was my favorite Big Mac moment until the ending of Brotherhooves Social came along. I greatly prefer it to the “eeyup” “nope” joke with the plants in Princess Twilight Sparkle. There, he wouldn’t have been screwing up if he hadn’t been stopping to speak. Here, Applejack and Big Mac have a humorous understanding of each other based on years of communication.
Even though everypony enjoyed her singing, Fluttershy decides never to sing in front of others again. This is why I don’t think she’s the brightest bulb. Either that or she chooses not to think things though to make herself feel safe and give herself excuses.
I like Rarity’s line “Can we please stop running?” As much as she cares about Fluttershy, she’s a little exasperated, and it fits in with how Fluttershy is literally running away from her fears.
The climax is something I can relate to strongly. Fluttershy’s friends only want to understand why she feels the way that she does so that they can help. In a very basic way, it doesn’t make sense that she should feel upset by ponies cheering her on, and her friends questions end up showing her that maybe it wasn’t so bad after all. And so she takes the first steps towards being someone who can be confidant in front of a crowd. Some complained that she didn’t more forward enough in this episode, but this was the first time I felt like I was seeing true progress.

9. The Return of Harmony (Season 2, Episodes 1-2)
You know what’s funny? At the same time as I was getting into Friendship is Magic, I was also watching Star Trek: The Next Generation. I noticed the similarities to Q online, only to be hit with the revelation that it IS Q. Discord is my favorite antagonist on the show. He’s funny, creepy, creative, and hammy, all good qualities in a villain, and the kooky effect he has on Equestria, turning it into Dr. Suess’ nightmare, is something to behold. Discord isn’t just a cackling evil bad guy. He does things for the lulz more than for the evilz. He enjoys playing with our heroes. He has fun with them. He describes Pinkie’s Element as a personal favorite of his and makes her laugh by dancing on Twilight’s head. While he is trying to take over the world and do terrible things, it still almost feels unfair when he’s turned back into stone, which is why it’s nice that he’s released later.
The Return of Harmony was the most epic, adventure focused episode yet, but in a gentle way that felt natural, whereas when I saw Princess Twilight Sparkle, I felt that the show had changed in a jarring way. In general, season 2 felt like a slight evolution of the series, getting just a little bigger, darker, and more mature while still largely having the same feeling. Having the episode start with the CMC on a little field trip is just the sort of small scale thing that I like having epic stories start out on. I don’t know how they did it, but I don’t find any of Celestia’s exposition boring. Perhaps it’s because there had only been one two parter before. Seeing this set up for an adventure against a new foe was engrossing.
I get a little shudder when the case for the Elements turns out to the empty. The way the sound cuts out and the camera cuts back highlights the drama.
“But you wouldn’t know that would you, because I don’t turn ponies into stone.” It’s interesting how Discord has the moral high ground in a way there.
“Twists and turns, that’s it!” Has anyone ever actually said “That’s it!” when realizing something in real life? It’s a little awkward.
Throwing all the main characters into a big maze is just the sort of fun idea that’s perfect for this show. Ditto for turning their personalities into the opposite of what they normally are. Fluttershy cruelly slamming a bucket down on Twilight’s head puts a smile on my face. The Return of Harmony has the feel of a big exciting adventure, but still keeps the focus on taking advantage of the mane six’s personalities. Discord is an interesting villain because, with the powers he has, he could probably have stopped the mane six immediately, but instead he’d rather make a game out of it. He knows enough about the girls to make them their own worst enemy.
Pinkie’s balloon party is on the creepy side. What works about the way the characters personalities are turned on their heads is that a lot of these could function as season one non-Discord character conflicts. Pinkie misunderstanding and thinking her friends are laughing at her, not with her. Applejack deciding to believe a pleasant lie rather than a painful truth (and Leap of Faith kind of runs with that). Rarity’s lust for beauty often overcomes her generosity, at least in little moments, like the ending of A Canterlot Wedding. And so on.
I’m not sure that the shot of Rarity walking sideways across the maze makes any sense, but, well, Discord. It’s a cool visual really.
Fluttershy is just too gosh darn sweet to be broken by manipulation. “I am weak and helpless, and I appreciate their understanding.” Awww. So preciously honest and humble.
“The foundations of home will crumble without you.” I only just realized that Discord’s telling the truth and that he’s talking about Ponyville. He only lies to Rainbow Dash with visual illusions, not with his words, but she believes what she sees.
Little things like the overhead shot of the ponies walking in the maze, or the earlier camera turn while Window Discord is talking show the series pushing itself visually a bit farther, but in ways that aren’t obvious or distracting, unlike, say, the CG Elements of Harmony in the season 4 premiere.
“Well, wait a few minutes and you’ll see it in the beautiful light of day. Or not.” He just loves the randomness. Gotta like a villain who likes the crazy mess he’s causing. A bit like the Joker.
Some say that Twilight was dumb for trying to use the Elements without Rainbow Dash. I think she knew it wasn’t going to work and was just pissed. It was her way of raging against the unfairness of the situation like smashing a boulder through her house. “My friends… have turned into complete jerks!” This appears to be Twilight putting off her sorrow for just a bit longer, and when it does consume her, she turns gray. Her tear forming a broken heart is the sort of thing that would be eye rolling in live action, but works in animation where the audience automatically suspends their disbelief. I love a show that can make me feel something for the silliest of concepts.
Discord just lets them try to fire the Elements at him. He’s so fair in the way he challenges them.
“Pack your things Spike. We’re leaving. And don’t ask where we’re going, cause I don’t know yet.” I like the desperation that Twilight’s been pushed to. She sees the situation as hopeless. But her hopes are revived by the many friendship letters she’s written, an excellent culmination of everything that’s happened so far in the series. Twilight’s learned that the future of Equestria does rely on her friendship. She’s already come a long long way, and this revived hope in the face of Discord is a big step on the way to Magical Mystery Cure.
The little Applejack montage is nice, especially with the pretty music. I kind of wanted to see more than one, though I suppose five would be repetitive.
The dramatic music notes as Applejack ropes Rainbow Dash are exciting.
Then there’s the amazingness of the exploding chocolate milk scene. That’s a top ten episode moment, for sure.
Nice little detail with Twilght’s magic making a small green patch in the chaos.
True, the mane six simply blasting Discord with the Elements is an anti-climax after everything that’s happened. But there wasn’t room for a battle, and I can’t really think of anything in this episode I would want taken out. I wouldn’t quite call The Return of Harmony amazing. That’s a word for my top eight. But it’s consistently very very good.
I think this was the first time an episode had it’s own special credits music. It fit the adventure feel nicely.

8. Sleepless in Ponyville (Season 3, Episode 6)
Back when I lived with my parents, there was a period of time when we didn’t have internet, and I was watching new season 3 episodes at the local library. I still remember how much I loved Sleepless in Ponyville. I got up and paced around the library for like half and hour just soaking it in.
This episode gets so much right. By season 3 standards, it’s very popular, and I can see why. I could really just make a list of pros. It instantly transformed Scootaloo from my least favorite crusader into my favorite. Before this point, I only saw her as a miniature Rainbow Dash with a one note tomboy personality and a design I wasn’t super into. Sleepless in Ponyville revealed that part of her macho attitude is just an act to cover the fact that she is actually quite sensitive, and after this episode she really doesn’t have as much of an attitude as she did before.
It starts with Scootaloo receiving a bit of praise from Rainbow Dash and explaining to her friends that she would love to have a sisterly relationship with her. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle act unsure if such a thing will actually develop. Really, Scootaloo’s hopes seem a bit high considering all she got was a little compliment. This helps to make the ending a pleasant surprise. The three decide on a camping trip so Scootaloo has an opportunity to bond with her.
“I wanna go…”
“Well duh, of course you can go.”
I like how Sweetie Belle is sometimes a bit more dim witted than the other two, though not an idiot. It adds to her cuteness. And Apple Bloom manages to be both blunt and sweet in one line. I was already liking this episode more than I expected. Honestly, a lot of the first fourth was me waiting for it to fall apart.
“Rarity loves camping.”
*cut* “I despise camping!”
Not an original joke, but this is a very well done version of it. It plays well off of what we already know about these two from Sisterhooves Social and other episodes, and of course Rarity’s voice is perfectly over the top. And Sweetie Belle’s sad face is also perfectly over the top. (Notice how we’re hitting that point on the list where it’s just blunt compliment after blunt compliment?) I like getting a chance to see Sweetie Belle’s more manipulative side.
“Gee Rarity, did ya remember to pack?”
Moments like this and the ones in The Crystal Empire are what I like to see between Applejack and Rarity post Look Before You Sleep, not like Trade Ya! I like it when they throw little jabs at each other without being mean. This isn’t a sitcom like Frasier or American Dad where the characters can throw some pretty rough stuff at each other and it’s fine, so when the writers manage to thread the line just right I’m pleased. I like the gentler, less “Burn!” nature of this show, but witty banter is appreciated. In moments like this, Rarity and Applejack seem to have accepted that they are just two very, very different ponies who aren’t going to get along completely perfect all the time, and have learned how to deal with that through their mess ups in Look Before You Sleep.
“Alright y’all, lets move em out.”
There’s a big shot after this line that I found gorgeous. This episode felt a step above most of the rest of the show visually. I doubt I would ever make a list for my favorite episodes visually, but if I did, this would be on it. I like how you can see Ponyville while they’re walking as well. Gives a sense of “realism”. Funny word to use but oh well.
“Are we there yet?”
“The last thousand times you asked that, the answer was no. This time, it’s actually yes.”’
Way to put a spin on an old line that had gotten tired.
Rainbow Dash manages to make collecting firewood look badass. Instant likeability boost. I’d seriously take that over the 20% cooler line.
I like how after Scootaloo hurts herself she tries to play it cool and crosses her legs. “What’s up?” It’s actually not a bad attempt considering she just went spinning through the air. This episode isn’t nearly as awkward as it could’ve been. The only face palm-y moment is her saying there aren’t many trees.
Rarity’s massive luxurious tent is the great sort of exaggerated cartoon moment that would be really hard to pull off in live action. There’s a reason (well, lots of reasons) why all of my top 5 favorite shows are animated (The Simpsons, MLP, Baby Steps, Digimon, and Noein, if you were curious). You can just DO more.
Rainbow Dash does a humorous mockery of Rarity’s voice. Even discounting Applejack, I think Rarity gets teased a tad more than the others. It’s totally fine here, as she’s mostly a gag character throughout the entire episode, which makes sense. I mean, it’s Rarity on a camping trip. It’s more enjoyable seeing her get to do it her way rather than complain the whole time. Speaking of imitating Rarity, sometimes when I’m alone I speak in a voice like hers, particularly earlier in the series, and particularly when I would get a bit exasperated at work.
Rainbow Dash’s scary voice is sooooo bad.
So, our characters in this episode are Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and the Crusaders, a combination we hadn’t seen before, which excited me. Initially, I was thinking back to season one type episodes like Look Before You Sleep, and wondering what sort of conflict might erupt between the characters. What we got was quite different though, as this group of mismatched fellows got along quite well. It’s an example of the show shifting away from conflicts between the main characters. It also provides us with one of my favorite examples of subtlety in the series. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle receive bits of comfort from their siblings that Scootaloo naturally doesn’t. There is absolutely no dialogue about this. Scootaloo never says anything like, “Gee, I wish I had what they had.” And that’s awesome. Having the Crusaders interact with half of the mane six also helped me feel like they were integrated into the series and less like they’re a spinoff separate from the rest of the show.
I have no idea if that teddy bear is Scootaloo’s or Rainbow Dash’s.
Nice bit of irony with Rainbow Dash snoring after making sure Scootaloo doesn’t.
The color scheme during Scootaloo’s nightmare is friggin’ excellent, and it’s actually a bit creepy by MLP standards, with a jump scare and everything, which impressed me. The fog and mist outside after Scootaloo wakes up is a nice visual touch. It’s like the animators knew this was a really good episode and went the extra mile. Or maybe they just had some really good coffee.
Scootaloo sleep riding her scooter isn’t bad, but it feels more filler-y than the rest of the episode. Nitpick.
Applejack isn’t stupid, and notices that something is up with Scootaloo, which is sweet. I think this is when she started becoming my best friend’s favorite pony.
Oooh, the lighting of Dash against the moonlight during her second story is fantastic.
“You don’t have to tell me twice!” I love how ready Sweetie Belle is to sing. And everypony just kind of sits back and takes it instead of complaining. It’s like no one has had the heart to tell her she’s terrible. This is some so bad, it’s good humor I can appreciate. She just looks so pleased with herself when she’s done, and then she just plops right asleep. Adorable. Pure charm. I’d take it over You Gotta Share, You Gotta Care a hundred times over.
I like that Scootaloo is smart enough to point out that the headless horse being headless makes it less threatening, but it doesn’t stop her from being afraid.
And they actually show the headless horse. That surprised me. It feels like they can get away with a little more every season. Season 5 was the first season that didn’t feel a little darker than its predecessor to me.
I like all three appearances of dream psychiatrist Luna. This first one was a bit of a surprise.
I like the legit amount of peril Scootaloo is in as she tumbles down the river. She easily could’ve died, and is naturally quite thankful when saved by Rainbow Dash, who is naturally quite angry at her for getting in such peril in the first place.
And then, mmm that ending is so, so sweet. I knew the episode would have a happy ending but I was surprised that it was THIS happy, maybe because so many CMC endings had been bittersweet. When Scootaloo pours her heart out, her words are very similar to what she says at the beginning to Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. I realized then that she’s always had this picture in her head of this perfect conversation with Rainbow Dash that she never expected to get. But she DOES get it. This scene made me tear up, possibly for the first time in the series. I can’t remember if I teared up during Winter Wrap Up or not. Either way, it was a big deal. And Dash’s reaction is so perfect, literally taking her under her wing in a way that could only be done in a fantasy show like this. I love it when the fantasy and the slice of life get naturally melded. That’s the magic of fiction.
I like the ending dream pointing out that “Who’s got my rusty horseshoe?” isn’t really a scary thing to day. The wink at the camera was a touch unnecessary though.
Sleepless in Ponyville isn’t an episode I find very rewatchable. Neither are Look Before You Sleep or Winter Wrap Up, both of which are higher up. A lack of rewatchability won’t make me drop an episode unless I see issues I didn’t see the first time. It’ll just keep the episode from moving up and allow other episodes the chance to overtake it. In this case, Magical Mystery Cure, which means Sleepless in Ponyville used to be my favorite season 3 episode, and I can still see why.

7. Look Before You Sleep (Season 1, Episode 8)
Okay, so probably not one of the most popular episodes. And I could kind of even tell that the first time I saw it, making this sort of a reverse Hurricane Fluttershy or Testing, Testing 1, 2, 3. And it’s not really an episode I can go back to now that Rarity and Applejack’s relationship has moved on.
But this episode surprised me the first time. I was already a fan of the show by this point, but I LOVED this one. It kind of took me back to middle school watching crap like Wife Swap… which probably doesn’t sound like a compliment, but the idea of that show, and lots of reality TV, is sticking mismatched people together and letting the sparks fly. There’s an appeal to that. And Rarity and Applejack are so wonderfully mismatched, so perfect for this sort of thing. I really didn’t get tired of their childish bickering during those twenty minutes because these were two characters with their individual pros and cons. Rarity had an attention to detail. Sometimes at the wrong time. Applejack knew how to get things done. Sometimes without thinking. (Applejack sure did change. In seasons 4 and 5 the idea of our Hank Hill pony not thinking things through is laughable.) Rarity’s fussiness is annoying, but it’s fine because Applejack is constantly pointing that out. And like I said with Griffon the Brush off, I like that Applejack and Rarity weren’t instant super best friends. It makes sense for them not to be. A lot of the appeal of the show, especially early on, is seeing very different characters play off each other. Rarity and Applejack. Twilight and Pinkie. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. These characters contrast each other in fun ways, which is part of what makes shipping enjoyable. This is a cast that is bursting with quirks and personality, and one of my favorite character sets ever.
Makeovers are an eye rolling cliché, but Applejack’s adversity to it makes it work. Pillow fights are also an eye rolling cliché, but the epic level they take it to, mixing in Rarity’s magic and Applejack’s bucking, makes it work. This show knows how to make girly clichés fresh.
I find it cute how the once anti-social Twilight is now gung ho about the idea of a sleepover. She wants the full friendship experience. I’m surprised some find this out of character. Her enthusiasm makes her blind to Rarity and Applejack’s antics for a little while, but it doesn’t last. Twilight lists everything that has happened so far, which makes it seem like she was doing her best to ignore the problem and hope that Rarity and Applejack would find a way to get along on their own, so she wasn’t just stupid.
“It’s… Well, it’s not okay.” Love this. Sometimes sorry just isn’t enough.
Rarity focuses on little problems because she doesn’t want to deal with something big she doesn’t think she can handle. Sadly, I can relate to this. It’s a very interesting character flaw I’m not sure I’d ever seen before. And now for possibly my favorite bit of dialogue in the series. “I said I’m sorry! I shoulda listened to you when you noticed where this here branch would end up. You’re annoying attention to detail would have saved us from this whole mess. But right now, you need to stop being so dang fussy, picking up all the little things, and help me move the one big thing in here that actually matters. Please.” I love the way she struggles to apologize and get through Rarity’s prissy skull. The way these two learn to see the strengths in each other and help each other overcome their faults is just wonderful. Rarity’s help was exactly what Applejack needed, and Rarity makes sure she isn’t over enthusiastic in disposing of the remainder of the branch. Rather than learning to look past each other’s differences, they learn to embrace each other’s differences, which is much more powerful. It’s my second favorite expression of the meaning of friendship in the series, after The Best Night Ever.
Wow, there’s like a full three minutes after they get that tree branch out of there. I like that gentle pacing. It’s sort of relaxing.

6. Rarity Takes Manehattan (Season 4, Episode 8)
After a shorter opinion with Look Before You Sleep, we’re back to the moment to moment praise of Sleepless in Ponyville. Also, this is my favorite season 4 episode, though it used to be Filli Vanilli. Filli is one of those episodes I don’t find rewatchable, while Manehattan I enjoyed a bunch of times, so it moved up a lot. Initially it was below Suited For Success. Considering how important each notch is this high on the list, Manehattan might be the most impressive movement any episode on this list has made.
I went into season 4 with high (read: too high) expectations. Even episodes I really liked like Flight to the Finish and Power Ponies didn’t fully satisfy me. This is the home run I was waiting for, an emotional, character driven slice of life drama.
“I could. I do.” The voice acting and little facial expression there are quite charming. I wonder if the animation was made to fit the line read. This is a reason I love animation. It’s easier to get extreme expressiveness out of the characters without it seeming weird. How many live action shows have memorable facial expressions? Ones that sometimes inspire fan art no less!
The characters are so excited they hop up and down. This show exaggerates the happy moments as well as the dramatic ones. Knowing just how exuberantly happy these characters can be when things are going right helps keep the drama less exasperating. It keeps a show from feeling like problem after problem.
As the train rolls into Manehattan, I already know I’m in love just from the look of it. I like New York. It’s one of the reasons I’m a Spider-Man fan (non-hardcore, I don‘t know nuttin bout no comics). I haven’t been, but I’ve thought about traveling there at some point. At any rate, I adore this setting, and it really helps this episode to feel like its own thing. I get a certain special something from this episode I don’t from any other.
I like the bit of fun poking at the nature of songs in the show. A bit of self awareness is nice as long as a show doesn’t become a parody of itself with too much self aware dialogue like Zombie Simpsons developed. Generosity is a pleasant little song. I like the emphasis on Rarity’s element, and later in this episode, Applejack’s. There are moments where Rarity can seem quite selfish, and it was nice to reinforce that she is a generous character at heart. She has an interesting juxtaposition of pickiness and a giving nature. With a lot of the mane six, their good and bad elements are somewhat blended, which I believe is very true to life.
What’s up with that thing Rarity does with her legs before fixing the wagon wheel? It pops up a few times in the show. Maybe an animator got bored.
“Is there anything left to do we can help you with?” They’re just… such good friends. It’s nice. I like nice.
“Stretchy, but not clingy. Shimmery, but not showy.” The memorability of this line sets up Suri Polomare stealing it later, so that it’s immediately understood when it happens. It’s nice to appreciate little things like this sometimes.
Yes, it’s odd that nopony recognized Twilight was a princess. It’s something I got over over time, especially with the help of Twilight’s Kingdom.
The singing seems to make the mane six lose track of time, but Rarity’s generosity presents a reward and gets her to the runway on time, but it turns out they forgot the dresses, but then they too are delivered on time. I like the up and down emotions of this episode. It’s like a roller coaster and creates a hectic feeling that leads well into Rarity’s stress later.
“I thought you looked familiar, but I couldn’t place it.” So down to earth. I like down to earth.
“I need to finish my preparations and I am a bit late as it . . . Is.” Uh oh.
Am I the only person who likes Suri more than Coco? I mean Coco’s cute I guess, but Suri is just such a bitch, the way she wraps her arm around Rarity as she’s crying. She just doesn’t give a fuck, and really believe this is what it takes, that it’s survival of the fittest.
“Is everything okay?” Even Dash isn’t oblivious that something’s wrong. It’s nice. I like nice. These six have developed a real sense of closeness over time that shines in this episode.
And then Rarity throws herself onto the bed and starts sobbing like it’s what she was born to do. She should have a cutie mark in tantrums. Honestly, I’m more impressed by Tabitha St. Germain’s voice acting in this episode than any other performance in the series. Although Twilight has my favorite voice, Rarity has my favorite voice acting, if that makes sense. I’m very impressed that I enjoy this scene. Remember A Dog and Pony Show? And how it’s dead last? It’s very easy for me to hate an over the top whiny crying scene like this. But Tabitha’s voice acting is just too damn good. And I care about what Rarity’s whining about. I want her to succeed in her fashion career. I want her to beat Suri Polomare. And I’m happy that her friends are still on her side when she’s having a bad time. The way this scene blends fun and drama is awesome.
I like the facial expressions as she’s playing with the blanket and thinking. And then the gutsy look of confidence when she realizes she still has a chance.
Remember emotional balance and how rock hard it makes me? The mane six were promised an awesome play. They’re totally willing to help Rarity out, and Rainbow Dash only brings up Hinny of the Hills very tentatively, but I can totally see why it sets Rarity off. She’s had a roller coaster of a day and is very much on edge. I adore it when I can see both sides of a conflict. So Rarity guilt trips her friends. In style.
“There’s our friend Rarity going down in FLAMES! Isn’t friendship MAGIC!?” Must be one of my top three favorite lines in the show. I mean damn, what a title drop. Blending fun and drama again.
Rarity wins with weird hotel fashion. *shrug* Cartoon.
Boy that photo snapping transition is a good one.
I had no idea what was up with that rainbow eye shimmer the first time. It wasn’t until the rainbow spool of thread shimmer that I thought about the keys.
Wet mane Rarity is pretty and her singing voice is pretty. I like the reprise. It’s nice to take a gentle break from the roller coaster of feels.
“We may not have seen you at your best, but we know you, and we would never let one thing like that change the way we feel about you.” Awwwww. Perhaps my third favorite message on the meaning of friendship. And a wonderful example of just how close they’ve all grown.
“Pretty clever how I convinced her to stay away from Prim, wasn’t it? Wouldn’t want her to find out the truth would we?” This line from Suri is my only real complaint of the episode. The line, plus the emphasis on Coco’s expression, makes it pretty obvious Coco’s going to tell the mane six. A little too obvious.
“It was a’ight.” Rainbow Dash, you ain’t no gangster. You’re a soft, fuzzy little pony. But seriously, I like the evolution starting with Read it and Weep of Rainbow having a nerdier side.
A nice lesson about not sinking to the level of your enemies, and that’s a wrap.

5. A Canterlot Wedding Part 2 (Season 2, Episode 26)
Let’s get my one complaint out of the way. Lots of monologuing at the beginning. Moving on, this episode is a showstopper.
Twilight finds Cadence, who cleverly proves who she is with the sunshine, sunshine ritual.
Then it’s on to This Day Aria, one of my top five favorite songs of the show. The singing quality from Imposter Cadence is the most impressive in the series to me personally. Very operatic. Jumping back and forth between real and imposter Cadence creates a nice juxtaposition, and I like the camera swing towards the ceiling. “Vows I’ll be lying when I say.” “I fear that I may lose him to one who wants to use him.” There’s a sense of maturity to the lyrics rarely seen in the show. And camera cuts timed with the notes. I love camera cuts that are timed with notes. Dramatic. Big. Awesome. By the end of this top ten I’ll have completely run out of complimentary words.
Twilight rushes in yelling “Stop!” I like that even Spike looks away in disappointment. She’s really made herself look bad.
Nothing wrong with a bit of goofy comic relief with the bridesmaids, especially with the action scene coming.
Celestia gets her ass kicked. Damn. Shit is indeed real.
The magic force field around Canterlot shatters. Epic. That’s what I like to see in a fantasy cartoon.
Twilight stomps on the head of a changeling. I’m happy they got away with that.
I was pleasantly surprised by the fight scene. The show had really never had anything like it before. And such a clever, visually creative fight scene too. I love how it plays with the changelings transformation ability. I think I still like it more than the Twilight’s Kingdom one. It’s just more fun and loony.
…
Whoops. I got caught up in the episode and now I need to dive back nine minutes and think of things to say. I’m at a bit of a loss though. It’s all so perfect.
The Elements of Harmony had the risk of getting old fast. Seeing the power of love triumph was refreshing. And visually and aurally they play it so beautifully. This show made the phrase “Princess of Love” cool to me. A little montage displays a more humble and happy non-imposter Cadence enjoying the wedding preparations, the peak of her likeability imo.
And then the wedding. Aw this wedding is so perfect and beautiful it makes my heart soar. Love the CMC as the flower girls. Can’t imagine it any other way. Fluttershy’s bird choir (nice continuity with episode one) gives the classic wedding music. Twilight readjusting Shining’s sash is a nice little character moment, as is Applejack sneaking on her Stetson, a moment of humor very naturally snuck into the beauty of what’s happening. The wedding rings going on the horns makes me wonder how earth ponies and Pegasus ponies do it, or if perhaps it’s only royalty, but it feels natural in the moment. And we actually get to see Twilight’s parents, who look so proud. It’s truly amazing how much I care about the union of these two characters who I’d only met forty minutes ago.
I’d never appreciated before how naturally the episode insets in little jokes in this end stretch without breaking the wonderful heartfelt feeling of it all. Rarity selfishly snatching the flowers and Spike’s bachelor party line are decent gags that aren’t the least jarring, and Love is in Bloom is a pretty little number that sends the episode off in style. Beautiful. That’s the word for this one. Honestly, this episode is very close to being 4th or 3rd place. They’re very jammed together. But I’m not as crazy for Chrysalis as some people were, so 5th it is.

4. Ponyville Confidential (Season 2, Episode 23)
I’d disliked every episode involving all three CMC up until this point, so imagine my surprise when this turned out to be my favorite season 2 episode. It was the biggest pleasant surprise since liking the show in the first place. So, this isn’t exactly a showstopper like A Canterlot Wedding. Why do I like it so much?
…
Umm. I’m kind of not totally sure. But I’ll take my best guess.
I’d long grown tired of the CMC trying various failed schemes to get their cutie marks. Having a story focusing on just one cutie mark attempt, and where the focus wasn’t really on cutie marks, increased the appeal greatly. Plus, I find journalism interesting.
The Namby Pamby line is another example of self awareness without overdoing it.
This is my favorite appearance of Diamond Tiara. I just love how dramatic she is, kicking down a poster of herself, and somehow kicking it back up. She knows how to take charge, lead, and manipulate, and her bad nature juxtaposes the CMC’s sweetness in a manner which keeps the episode from getting too corny. “Feelings!? I don’t care about feelings!”
The little montage of embarrassing things happening to the CMC could have easily not lead up to anything, which makes the blackmail scene all the more effective.
“I don’t like ponies touching my hooves.” This bit of vulnerability is so likable coming from such a brash character.
At no point do I feel like the CMC become unlikable or annoying. They just sort of fall into the whole gossip thing and keep doing it because it sells papers and is what ponies seem to like. They’re smart enough to know what they’re doing might have consequences but Diamond Tiara forces them into submission. I love that this little school paper has an effect on the entire town. Seeing what started as something small and innocent gradually build up and up entertains me. I’m not sure exactly how, but more than any other, this episode reminds me of classic Simpsons.
I like Rarity kicking open Sweetie Belle’s door. So dramatic. I also like that Rarity just points out what a hypocrite she’s being, with no comeuppance, cause fuck it. I think she makes up for it with this excellent point: “Do you really think that spreading nasty rumors and making everypony feel horrible is your destiny?”
The entire town ostracizes three little girls over a school newspaper. And I like that. I like how overblown and melodramatic it is.
I have a lot more trouble explaining it than usual, but this episode pushed just the right buttons to entertain the hell out of me. I’m constantly sympathetic towards a trio who in the past had bugged me, I enjoy the small scale story and large scale dramatic tone, and I enjoy Diamond Tiara’s constant yelling. …*shrug*

3. Magical Mystery Cure (Season 3, Episode 13)
Oh boy. Here we go. I’m gonna need a drink for this one. Oh, that’s right. I don’t like alcohol.
…
Fuck.
So, there was no hiding from this spoiler. Twilight Sparkle was going to become an alicorn princess in the season 3 finale. It wasn’t just spoiled for me on Equestria Daily. It was spoiled for me on the gaming site I visited. I’m not sure if my opinion would have changed at all if I had not known about it in advance, but since we’re sitting at 3rd place, it worked out just fine. While other people were upset about the idea, I was excited. My favorite little pony was going to become a cool alicorn with wings and increased magic and political power and everything. Sounded good to me.
There were complaints about the pacing of the episode being too fast. I found the episode fast, but not too fast. I was able to follow it fine and get into all its emotions. Perhaps if I hadn’t liked the idea of Twilight becoming a Princess I would have been like “Stop, you really need to take the time to sell this to me.”
There were complaints about it being a musical, though funny enough those same complaints did not apply to Pinkie Pride or Crusaders of the Lost Mark. I’m fine with a musical episode so long as I like the songs in said musical, and so far I’ve liked the songs in all three. Actually, now’s a good time to mention how much I appreciate the songs in the show. They may not be the deepest or most complex songs ever, but damn are they ever catchy. I like having MLP songs stuck in my head. They help pass the time when I’m doing dishes at work. And I have had a huge number of them stuck in my head at once time or another. I’m not sure the catchiness of all other songs combined equals the catchiness of MLP songs for me. It’s an ear worm epidemic! Which isn’t to say that’s the only thing I appreciate about MLP songs, as I hope I’ve gotten across as they’ve popped up.
There were complaints concerning Twilight outliving all her friends, which the writers have since assured would not happen. There were concerns about the number of unicorns, Pegasus, and earth ponies in the main six no longer being symmetrical, which even as an OCD kinda guy I find rather silly. There were concerns about Twilight not asking for this, which I don’t see as a complaint, but would have liked to see brought up in season 4 (luckily Reflections went into it). There were complaints about the episode leaving too many questions hanging. I like a bit of mystery, as me being a fan of Lost, Final Fantasy VII, Noein, and Serial Experiments: Lain should tell you. However, Princess Twilight Sparkle did not feel like the part two and three to this episode that the writers said it was. There were complaints that the cutie mark swap made no sense. If that’s true, I didn’t notice.
This episode was a game changer. The show would not feel the same after this point, though not quite in the manner I expected. It’s a goodbye to what came before, and a spark to ignite the future, the centerpiece of the series. I’ve said that I don’t like Twilight in seasons 4 and 5 as much as in 1-3. I was worried that this might make me like MMC less going back to it, but it added an odd element of tragedy into the mix that strangely made me appreciate it even more and helped the episode zoom up from 8th to 3rd place.
This is such a joyous, happy, emotional, cheesy, huggy, teary episode. I love it.
Unlike I’m pretty sure any other episode, it opens right on a song, letting you immediately know what you’re in for. Birds soar over a sparkling shining Ponyville. It’s quite pretty. Twilight’s movements have a real fluidity to them. The animators went the extra mile with this one. I feel like Morning in Ponyville should annoy me, but it’s just so enthusiastic that I can’t help but like it.
The episode quickly jumps from this to the cuite mark swap, which I adore. Freaky Friday stories are a dime a dozen, but this is a new twist on it that fits in perfectly with the show. It’s one of those awesome what if scenarios, just like the gray mane six in The Return of Harmony. I love What My Cutie Mark is Telling Me. I have it ranked as my 2nd favorite song, after Pinkie the Party Planner. I love the rhythm, and the hectic nature of it, and seeing this concept unfold. Why is Applejack making dresses instead of looking for gems? Because Rarity has spent way more air time making dresses than looking for gems, and that’s what she’s associated with more. That’s what I like to call TV logic, and I often care more about that than actual logic.
“I’m in love with weather patterns but the others have concerns, for I just gave them frostbite over top of their sunburns.” might be my favorite lyric in the show. I just find something so clever about it.
The mane six’s cutie marks (minus Twilght) no longer line up with what their special talents are destined to be, so they’re not good at what they’re trying to do. It’s exaggerated because cartoon. And each pony is lined up with something they’re particularly awful at because entertainment. I’ve heard complaints that the episode seems to misunderstand the cutie marks and take them too literally. Like “Pinkie Pie’s cutie mark is a metaphor that means she spreads cheer and happiness, not that she likes balloons and stand up comedy.” Well, sure. But does Fluttershy know that? She’s trying to figure out a cutie mark that wasn’t destined to be hers. It makes sense to me she would screw it up.
Spike rattles off some solution ideas that make for good continuity and the writers covering their bases. Then we get I Have to Find a Way, a song that’s pretty and different sounding from anything we’ve gotten before. It could’ve gotten whiny if it’d gone on too long, but thankfully it’s short, and because it’s short, it’s a great example of character development for Twilight. She doesn’t spend much time in anxiety mode before hunting a solution, and the first solution she tries is the right one, which is why this is the final example that Twilight is ready to become a Princess. She solved the conflict in only half an episode! The conflict ends up being something of a logic puzzle for Twilight to solve. She just has to find something of a workaround. Once Fluttershy gets her cutie mark back helping Rainbow, it starts a friendship chain reaction.
My one complaint of the episode is that A True, True Friend is corny and repetitive. But it’s quite nice looking and sounding, and very, very catchy. I was singing this all the way to season 4. It might be the show’s catchiest song to me, though Pinkie the Party Planner, You’ll Play Your Part, and Helping Twilight Win the Crown are all competition. I also find the images cycling through the ponies eyes quite a cool visual, like an accelerated version of the Applejack montage in The Return of Harmony.
“Uh, hello? Friend trapped inside, remember?” is a pretty good gag.
“Applejack needs your help” I like the way Rainbow puffs out her chest here, like “If I’m gonna do a corny song I’m gonna do it MY way.”
“Pinkie Pie is in trouble, we have to get there by her side.” Rarity’s voice is on another level here. Tabitha St. Germain, you rock.
Where has the Apple family been this whole time? Not living with Pinkie because they’re not related to Pinkie. That’s good enough for me, but then I love this episode, so it doesn’t take much for me to suspend my disbelief.
A True, True Friend goes so wonderfully big at the end, with the marching band and the flips and the choir and the biggest little pony nuzzle ever. I like the way they nuzzle. It’s sweet. Fits cleverly in with the fact that it’s a toy line too.
I like that when the magic from the Elements of Harmony hits Twilight, there’s a moment where she looks content and accepting, like she can feel that this is something good.
Twilight wakes up in a strange astral plane. It has a mysterious vibe and so I’m happy it isn’t explained. “Where am I? What is this place?” This line feels Japanese to me. I hear a lot of dialogue like this in Silent Hill games and anime.
Twilight and Celestia share a hug for I believe only the second time in the series. This episode has buckets of warmth and sweetness.
Celestia’s Ballad made me tear up. It might have made me cry if my best friend hadn’t been in the room. It’s a beautiful look back on everything that had come before, as is this entire episode. I felt so proud of Twilight.
Spike is the best bower. He knows how to do it right.
“Is there a book on being a Princess I should read?” This is a groaner line, but the episode had been going for a perfect vibe since the start of A True, True friend, and a bit of a break was a good idea.
There’s surprisingly little to say after that. Just a lot of warmth and happiness. In a lot of ways, Magical Mystery Cure feels like a series finale (and it was produced with that possibility in mind), and in a sense it is. To an extent, MLP shifted beginning with Princess Twilight Sparkle. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to close off the old and ignite the new.

2. Winter Wrap Up (Season 1, Episode 11)
I only seriously enjoyed Winter Wrap Up the first time I watched it. My re-watches have been near neutral experiences. This has occasionally made me wonder if I should move WWU down a bit, and in fact, this episode did move down from 1st to 2nd place, as The Best Night Ever proved more re-watchable. But at the end of the day, no episode from the later seasons has made me go “Wow, that totally beat Winter Wrap Up!” I play ranking this show more by feel than by logic. I’m an emotional person more than a smart person. My first time watching this episode was perhaps better than any other experience I’ve had watching this show, though at the end of the day I’m going by memory and you can accuse me of rose tinted goggles if you want. It’s possible. Some have said that WWU wouldn’t be nearly as popular if it didn’t have the series’ first big song. My response is “Yeah, so?” People like surprises. If Rarity’s house exploded in season 6 it wouldn’t be as cool and shocking as when Twilight’s house blew up in Twilight’s Kingdom.
I can understand why people don’t like the fact that the popularity of many things is based largely on timing. It doesn’t feel fair. It’s part of how the word overrated gets tossed around. Personally, I hate the word overrated and can accept that a lot of the entertainment business comes down to luck. Some of us complain that when making the show’s cruddier episodes the writers were being lazy, but maybe they weren’t. Maybe they were putting as much heart and effort into them and they just didn’t turn out as well due to a lack of inspiration or time or notes from the network or timing or expectations based on all the other episodes. I imagine that if The Cutie Re-Mark appeared in season one, people would be completely blown away by the alternate futures and the complexity and scope of the plot and would rush to defend Starlight Glimmer’s redemption because of that. But that’s neither here nor there. The Cutie Re-Mark didn’t appear in season one. It was the season five finale, and came with all the expectations that entails. For all I know, if Winter Wrap Up had appeared in season two or three I wouldn’t have liked it nearly as much. But to say that I “only” liked it because the episode happened when it did makes it sound like only some things are products of their times. Everything is a product of its time. Sometimes it’s just more noticeable than other times, and a lot of that comes down to luck. If something doesn’t age well, that’s unfortunate, but not what I’d really call a criticism, and whether something does or doesn’t age well is going to be different for different people. People often say that ps1 graphics have aged poorly. I like them as much as ever. Finding Nemo and Spirited Away are still considered great films. I loved them the first time and have only kind of liked them on repeat viewings. Subjective is one of my favorite words, and overrated is one of my least favorite words.
Winter Wrap Up had good timing and is likely the most popular episode of the first half of season one. Maybe the creators were smart and thought through where to place the episode, or maybe it was luck. Even if I disliked the episode, I wouldn’t care either way. I can accept that people wouldn’t have been impressed by Winter Wrap Up in season 4 the same way I can accept that people wouldn’t have been impressed by Final Fantasy VII in 2007. It doesn’t make me think any less of the product, and if you ever see me saying something is overrated for being a product of its time, call me out on it. One might say that Winter Wrap Up or Final Fantasy VII don't deserve the amount of love it gets because it’s a product of its time, and I would reply that fiction isn't living and therefore doesn't deserve or not deserve anything.
I knew I liked the series by the time Pinkie was singing about laughter, and I may have loved the series by the time Applejack was telling Rarity not to be so OCD and help her get the tree out of Twilight‘s house, but if I wasn’t in love before, I was after seeing Winter Wrap Up.
This was the first time we got a song outside of Pinkie’s little jingles. The second I heard those acoustics, I knew I was home. Not only was the song catchy and pleasant, but the concept of physically cleaning away Winter was a really interesting one.
I connected with Twilight’s conflict really well. She’s almost like the new kid in school who doesn’t know which table she’s supposed to sit at. It’s a sensation just about everyone has felt. This was the first time that I was not only having fun with the show, but really cared about what was happening. When Applejack gets upset with Twilight and she runs away, eyes full of tears, I was getting a bit misty eyed too. By god, a crack had formed in my cynical heart and this cutesy little girls show was making me feel something! I was shocked. By this point the shock has worn off and I have expectations of the series, but for a good year or so I was just amazed at how sucked into this little girls show that I was.
Winter Wrap Up follows the basic early episode formula of the protagonist going from pony to pony and the conflict re-asserting itself, and does it pretty much flawlessly. I really have no way of nitpicking this episode. There’s also some clever foreshadowing, as Twilight organizes the nest making supplies that Rarity hands her. It’s not really shoved in the audience’s face either. It’s not hard to figure out that Twilight’s going to save Winter Wrap Up with her organizational skills, but it’s not overly predictable either. Really, it’s just right for a kids show.
Like a lot of other season one and two episodes, one of the biggest strengths is how well built and put together it is. The pacing and sequence of events feels faultless. In later seasons, the show would get more complex and the episodes would start to feel more like a zany mish mash, which is great in its own way, but I fell in love with the series for its elegant simplicity.
I like that when Twilight goes to Rainbow Dash asking if she can help, the no wings issue is very quickly pointed out before things have a chance to get awkward.
“I’ve been doing this since I was an itty bitty, little little twinkie Pinkie!” Pffft. The lines you can only get away with on this show.
“You are a natural, Twilight! A natural disaster!” This might actually be my favorite episode when it comes to Spike. He works as both a voice of reasoning and comic relief. Generally, I believe I liked Spike best back in season one, when his supporting role felt the most prominent and the realization hadn’t arrived that he simply wasn’t going to get the best episodes.
“I know, Fluttershy could probably use your help with the critters.” Is it just me, or did Pinkie used to have a lot more normal dialogue to balance out her zaniness? She doesn’t say this very loud either.
Okay, one teensy nitpick. It’s a tad awkward when they pause to explain hibernation. Just a skosh.
I like Twilight’s determination to do things the right way. I find it quite admirable.
The snow avalanching on Applejack’s farm is such a great “oh no” moment. I have to feel sorry for Twilight after that.
I enjoyed the hell out of the ending montage. Not only are the acoustics lovely, but the whole thing is accomplished without a single word of dialogue. I would love to see animation strive harder to communicate through visuals in this manner. The pacing is gentle yet fluid, and the sheer power the Pegasus ponies wield is something to behold.
This is the episode that made Twilight my favorite pony, that made me realize the songs in the series could be really good, that elevated me from a casual watcher to a brony.

1. The Best Night Ever (Season 1, Episode 26)
Most of this episode is actually pretty predictable. Heck, the first time I saw this episode, I didn’t really like most of it that much, making this one of my strangest examples of a 10/10. The mane six go to the Grand Galloping Gala with individual dreams of a perfect evening, and of course those dreams are crushed one by one. Towards the end is where things get interesting.
The Gala is a stuffy affair, full of posh, spoiled ponies. Therefore, seeing it all come down in a shower of falling pillars and flying cake is a lot of fun. The jewel of it all is of course Fluttershy’s entrance and ironic rage filled declaration. “You will all LOVE ME!” Celestia gets one of her most endearing moments as she whispers for the mane six to run, taking their side.
Other little things along the way are worth mentioning. I like the little gag with Pinkie’s mane refusing to deflate, as she’s currently happy. At the Gala isn’t one of the songs I enjoy the most, yet that somehow feels appropriate considering the mess that’s about to unfold, though I should note that the mane six strolling down the lane to the Gala while facing the camera in their dresses from Suited For Success is the most visually iconic moment in the series to me. Actually, it feels appropriate that much of this episode isn’t one of the most enjoyable to me, as otherwise the ending wouldn’t be the same. “The Grand Galloping Gala is always awful!”
The ending is one of my favorite moments in television history, one of my favorite endings ever, and one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. The mane six meet up to hang out at a donut café as Spike insisted they do from the start. No expectations or delusions of grandeur, just a good time. After explaining what an awful time the six of them have had, they immediately cheer up and burst into laughter. The way that they are immediately able to cheer each other up after a terrible day is incredibly sweet and infectious, and nothing in the series has captured the feeling of friendship as wholly as this in my eyes. Celestia explains that she isn’t upset that the Gala was wrecked because it’s generally an awful affair and she was happy to see them liven things up, which keeps me from feeling sorry for her or the guests. I also like the moral that it’s not good to let your expectations skyrocket, and just relaxing and enjoying yourself is often the better course.
Their night is declared the best night ever, which obviously isn’t true. They had a terrible evening. But I’ve always felt that what they’re saying is that all the time they spend together is the best time ever. The six of them can always count on their friends and cheer them up despite their crazy quirks and differences in personality. The mane six are all a little bit broken and crazy in some ways, and this can get annoying in certain episodes, but when I see them come together and make each other happy in this manner, I don’t really care.
It was after I saw this ending that I decided Friendship is Magic was one of my top ten favorite TV shows, and it’s only grown more and more special to me since.
Why do I take My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic so seriously? Often, bronies are asked by non-bronies why they take a kids show so seriously. To me a show being for kids only dictates how much it can get away with and not the tone. Samurai Jack is a much more serious show than The Simpsons. But with that said, My Little Pony doesn’t have a super serious tone. It’s bright and colorful and optimistic and sometimes silly or over the top. It’s a cartoon in a fantasy world with ponies instead of humans. And yet many are still able to take it seriously. So how seriously people take something must be dictated by something other than simply how serious the show is, which is why I’m not sure “take seriously” is a very good phrase, and in fact I’m disliking it more the more I think about it right this very second. Instead of take seriously, I prefer to just say care. Why do some people get obsessed with, analyze, and sometimes nitpick this show? Because they care. I care. And it’s partly because some elements of the show aren’t serious that I do care.
I sometimes get exasperated with dramas that are mostly serious problem after serious problem and feel like constant yelling and tears. If I’m not being shown some happiness, some optimism, some light at the end of the tunnel, then I don’t know why I’m supposed to be rooting for the characters to succeed. I wonder why I should be taking it seriously. I wonder why I should care. Thinking about TV has made me realize that one of my favorite words is balance. Balance is everything in fiction. Pacing is a balance of slow and fast. Tone is a balance of light and dark, of optimism and cynicism, of heart and conflict. All of my favorite shows have lighter elements to balance out the heavy stuff. The Simpsons has its happy endings and its heart. Baby Steps has the protagonist’s never give up attitude. Digimon has its cartooniness and many, many bad jokes. Noein has it’s lighter character elements. Serial Experiments: Lain has its friendship between Lain and Alice and the surprisingly happy ending. Buffy the Vampire Slayer has its witty, goofy dialogue and slice of life moments. And My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic has, well, lots of obvious things.
I care about the show partly because it’s so frequently optimistic and sweet and happy. The show’s conflicts and yelling and crying and drama (and when you think about it, there’s actually a lot of yelling and crying and drama) are balanced out by the hugs and the morals and the jokes. When a show rewards its audience for caring the same way a video game rewards effort with progress (and caring, though enjoyable, is a type of emotional/mental effort), this prevents Darkness Induced Audience Apathy.
Yes, I’m still talking about The Best Night Ever.
The mane six are, well, a little bit crazy, as I brought up. They’ve been described as all a little bit broken, or a grab bag of personality disorders. This is a lot more interesting than if they were all perfect, but it does cause them to have unlikable or annoying moments, and this combined with the high number of episodes I disliked in season one’s second half led me to wonder how this group of six could stand each other. The ending of The Best Night Ever gave me the answer. The wonderful, simple answer. Because they’re friends. Because they talk and make each other laugh. Because they help each other learn and become better ponies. Because at the end of a bad day, they can come together and instantly cheer each other up.
And isn’t that just the nicest thing in the world?

Equestria Girls
Welp, we’re not quite done! We’ve got the human trilogy to tackle! Since I think of EG as a spin-off, and due to the difference in length, I decided not to mix it in with the episodes.
TLDR, I dislike the first, like the second, and love the third.
When the first picture of Equestria Girls appeared, it didn’t look good. People flipped their shit, and I understand why (again, outside of disgusting death threats, what’s wrong with some people?) These girls were skinny, oddly colored, all wore skirts and boots, and generally looked kinda weird. Plus, they weren’t ponies. We watched My Little Pony cause we liked ponies. I didn’t HATE the idea like some people. It just seemed weird and unnecessary. But I gave the first movie a chance, and…
It was weird and unnecessary. I don’t hate EG1, but when I finish the movie I think, “That was not worth spending 70 minutes on.” Maybe if it were episode length I’d be neutral towards it. Even though I own DVDs of the first four seasons and Rainbow Rocks and Friendship Games, I never bought the DVD for this and probably never will.
I won’t go at length. I like the scene with Sunset stealing the crown as it has some tension and action. I like the fan service. It was kinda nice going “Hey, it’s that character!” And since I watched a Youtube video from someone who had snuck a camera into the theater, I got to hear people having the same reaction, which was fun. I like Helping Twilight Win the Crown, which is quite catchy and lively. What’s with Rainbow doing the Batman? Do they have Batman in that universe? Whatever. The song is dumb fun. I actually kind of like the climax too. I don’t know how the hell Sunset intended to smash a portal with a sledgehammer, but it’s certainly dramatic, and Sunset turning into a freaky demon thing was kind of ballsy. Plus, Spike makes for a decent supporting role in the movie. That’s about all I got for pros though.
Sunset and Flash are bland. Not really annoying or anything, just one note cardboard. I don’t hate Flash, but Twilight’s crush on Flash is my least favorite part of the movie. It feels like if Twilight had bumped into some other cute boy, she would’ve started blushing and twirling her hair over that cute boy. And this isn’t like The Little Mermaid, where the fascination with another species was already established. It’s not like with Spike where he gets an instant infatuation with Rarity because of her beauty. It’s not really explained how Twilight can be into a human. It’s just sort of creepy. My least favorite scene in the movie is the ending with Twilight’s friends poking fun at her over Flash. I just find it embarrassing and grating.
Aside from that, I don’t have much to say. Sunset’s redemption is almost laughably rushed (or so it seems for now…), and the movie seems to care more about fan service and redoing the series premiere and new bland characters than anything really interesting. Oh, and Helping Twilight Win the Crown is the only song I like.

Rainbow Rocks
I didn’t have much reason to look forward to a sequel. The idea of Rainbow Dash in a band didn’t entice me, and I didn’t like any of the shorts. But, the movie came out, and to my pleasant surprise, pretty much everyone was saying it was much better than the first one. So to support it, I bought the DVD, and…
It was much better than the first one. Seriously, I’m comparing the animation of just the first ten seconds of both movies, and in Rainbow Rocks it’s twice as good. And then there’s that awesome looking rainbow stream from the first movie’s climax. And the intro song is an actual song instead of a weird dubsteppy remix. Though with that said, I’m not as gung ho for RR as some.
My favorite thing about RR is its treatment of Sunset Shimmer. Suddenly, she wasn’t just a one note cardboard character. Her actions in the first movie mattered and had serious consequences. The reformation might’ve been rushed, but the aftermath of the reformation wasn’t. Kids at the school didn’t just automatically love and trust her. She wasn’t automatically completely confidant or okay with what she had done. Also, the writers got away with having her say “she-demon”. Awesome.
As for the songs, I like them okay. Better Than Ever is my favorite, as it’s just so pleasant. Shine Like Rainbows is my second favorite, as even though the writing is horribly cheesy, the singing and harmony is absolutely beautiful, and the song works excellently on a loop, so it’s great to listen to when I’m working on something tedious (not this). I’m fine with most of the others too. I like the buildup of Battle of the Bands a lot, but once it gets big I actually like it less. Under our Spell is a nice little montage. I like Awesome as I Wanna Be and Shake Your Tail more for what’s happening than the songs themselves. The song in Applejack’s garage gets across the trouble their in. Snips and Snail’s rap is satisfactorily bad. I think my least favorite might actually be Welcome to the Show. By that point, the songs were starting to blur together for me. It felt like the good guys were singing the same lyrics they’d been singing throughout the whole movie and ditto for the bad guys. I barely remember a line of it.
The Dazzlings. I like them okay I guess. They certainly have more personality than the first movie’s Sunset Shimmer. Their lead bad girl, moody bad girl, silly bad girl antics are perfectly watchable. But they aren’t some of my favorite MLP antagonists. I find it weird that Sonata is basically just Pinkie on the bad girls side. She doesn’t seem like a twisted version of Pinkie or anything. It’s more like she’s just following Adagio around. I would call the Dazzlings serviceable clichés.
Flash Sentry is barely in the movie. Probably a smart move.
Special mention goes to the scene with Twilight waking up in the night and talking with Sunset. It’s a nice bonding scene and the lighting is gorgeous.
“Please do not drop the microphones.” is my favorite line in the movie.
I’m not totally sure I understand Twilight’s conflict. She’s having trouble writing the song, and then it just seems to work out because it’s climax time so it has to work. It’s like all that worrying was there to eat up time. I get that Twilight’s stressed about living up to her responsibilities, but what does song writing have to do with being a Princess?
I honestly have no idea what’s happening during the climax. Where did those giant horse and siren spirits come from?
I enjoyed the movie the most during the first twenty minutes or so. After that, it kind of just felt like waiting for Sunset to pick up that mike at the end, and listening to similar sounding songs and a lot of blunt, expositional dialogue. Overall, RR is a time passer for me. I was very happy about just how much of an improvement it was on the first movie. RR proved that this idea could actually work and produce a film that people would like. The animation was considerably stepped up, the characters had more personality, the songs had more effort, and generally the whole idea was taken more seriously. I saw an interview once where Megan McCarthy was asked about her response when first informed of Equestria Girls, and she mimed flipping a table. I get the impression that the team didn’t put their heart into the first movie and were hoping that it would be the only one, and that when they were informed of Rainbow Rocks, they said, “Well damn. If there’s going to be more than one of these things I guess we’d better start putting some effort into them.” Just a hunch. For all I know, the first movie was harder than it looked. But I can actually see the effort in Rainbow Rocks.
Oh yeah. One more thing. Just before season 5, three songs were released out of nowhere. It was a real nice surprise gesture. They were on the Friendship Games soundtrack, but they had the Rainbow Rocks logo, so I’m sticking them here. Life is a Runway and Friendship Through the Ages had shallow writing (basically “Rarity likes fashion” and “Friendship is good”), but they looked and sounded pretty, so I liked them fine. That shot of Fluttershy running through the field in Ages is one of the most beautiful looking moments in MLP in my book. My Past is Not Today is my 2nd favorite EG song. Like Smile Smile Smile, you could show it to a stranger and they would instantly understand the character, and hopefully also recognize this whole redemption ex-demon arc is a bit ballsy. It’s my favorite moment for Sunset as a character, and a song I’ve given quite a few listens to. Plus, that opening shot of the sun is gorgeous. Must be one of the best animated suns ever.

Friendship Games
I wasn’t sure what to think when Friendship Games was announced. I wasn’t expecting it to be better than Rainbow Rocks (and it does appear to not be as popular). I was just hoping it would still be better than the first movie. To my pleasant surprise, I found it to be my favorite of the three. The first time I saw it, I liked it pretty well. Then I watched it again immediately after. Then I watched the commentary, which by the way is one of my favorite commentaries alongside The Simpsons and Beauty and the Beast and I preferred it to the Rainbow Rocks and season one commentaries (the way to do a good commentary imo is to have a nice balance to praising your work and poking fun at it, and they totally get that with FG). Then I watched it with my roommate. Then I watched it on Netflix. Now it’s one of my top twenty-five favorite movies. I’m a little obsessed with this movie. It’s a bit of a guilty pleasure. I mean, it’s a well liked movie and all. I’m pretty sure it’s good. But I see a lot of flaws in it for a movie I like so much, especially in the second half. I guess the point is that the movie never loses me. EG1 loses me the second Twilight is transformed and screaming her head off. RR loses me at the climax. But no matter the issues I have with FG, there’s always something I really like right around the corner to keep me invested till the end. Honestly, I think the only thing I like more about RR than FG is the credits song/visuals.
But first, the shorts. I like The Science of Magic fine. It’s nice that SOMEONE is trying to figure out why music makes the girls pony up while playing music after they lazily hand waved it in RR. I guess music is friendship. Everything else is kinda turning out to be. Pinkie Spy just annoyed me and isn’t how I like to see Pinkie used. All’s Fair in Love and Friendship Games is the first short that really entertained me. I like Lyra and Bon Bon’s strange relationship and its awkward undertones. Photo Finished is my favorite EG short, and one of my favorite bits of humor in MLP. This wouldn’t feel out of place to me in Spongebob or The Simpsons. Photo Finish is just so zealous, but she does get results. “SCHPORTZ!” I’m watching it now. It’s still funny. “That book is out of order! It does not comply with the Dewey Decimal System!” What a nut. I love that line. A Banner Day bored me.
Okay, so the movie. Gonna do it bit by bit.
“Has a giant cake monster covered all the cakes in the world with cake!?” Pinkie’s dialogue is one note random screaming, and much of Rarity’s is just her obsession with dresses. Luckily, the dialogue with these two is the only real problem I have with the first half.
The first scene quickly re-establishes the main characters personalities. I like that we immediately see Sunset using the journal. It was one of my favorite little elements of RR and it’s not forgotten here.
Human Twilight (from now on just Twilight, not Sci-Twi, as pony Twilight likes science too) has created a device that can detect magic, because nerds can just do that. Sure, why not?
A nice bit of music leads us into Twilight’s nerd room. The little magic effect zipping around her board looks awesome, really good by flash standards (I mean, all of MLP looks good by flash standards, but damn), and the slightly haunting background choir is really cool and gets me pumped for the movie. I like it more than the song itself, though the song is nice too, giving some flashy opening credits and generic “let’s get pumped” lyrics like RR did.
A couple nice visual details include the lighting as Twilight is improving her device, and the shift of light streaming down from the top of the library. I liked RR visually and EG1 visually was… competent, I suppose, but FG is one of my favorite movies visually. Sure, a couple of the main six still look a bit odd sometimes, especially Rarity, but the film is largely a joy to look at. Since it shares the art style with the first film, I’m not sure what the secret formula is, but the directing or coloring or effects or something or everything is just so much better. One time, I watched Strange New World and CHS Rally back to back and was stunned by the difference.
Rainbow Dash is smart enough to figure out that the mysterious girl goes to Crystal Prep. Nice.
These girls care a LOT about the Friendship Games. It makes sense. Not only does it only happen once every four years, like the Olympics, but the Crystal Prep kids are always rubbing it in their faces that they’re losers and getting them riled up. Still, it’s nice that Sunset balances them out by not caring about the competition. A little school rivalry is nothing compared to magic.
Mmm, CHS Rally. My favorite EG song and my 3rd favorite MLP song overall. The first time I saw it, I liked it alright, but like the whole movie, it grew and grew on me. When the lights dim and that curtain opens, I get the good shivers. This song gets me pumped, and I don’t even have school spirit. I dunno who that baton girl is, but she’s pretty cute. I love the transition from the disc to Rainbow’s hat, and the expression on her face during “so get ready to see us” and the transition from the hat to the baton. After this transition, the sound of the choir gets so full. The only other MLP choir I like this much is the one in Pinkie the Party Planner. The transition with the speaker is a bit much though. It damn near explodes! Although initially it seemed strange that the people in EG had Doug colors, here it’s oddly nice seeing people of all different colors getting pumped together. It’s harmonic.
In this film, the characters pony up while being true to their Element of Harmony, which makes more sense to me than music.
“I know right? It’s probably because I’m so awesome!” Technically this is probably just as bad as Rarity and Pinkie’s dialogue, but something about the timing and delivery of this line of Rainbow’s makes me laugh.
I like that the entire school and staff are aware of the existence of magic, and they don’t play it like a lot of shows where everyone is just blind and/or forgetful. It’s refreshing.
Sunset still doesn’t have the full confidence of a leader, and keeps looking to Twilight for help. I like that this part of her journey is about her learning to trust and rely on her own strength. I hope that we’ll see a more confident Sunset Shimmer in EG4.
Twilight gets jostled a bit in the halls. It’s enough to get the point across without going on so long as to be obnoxious. I do feel for her.
Even without dialogue, Spike manages to be quite expressive and full of personality. I wouldn’t have minded if he had stayed dialogue free for the whole movie. Maybe Cathy needed the paycheck.
It’s mentioned that Cinch is allergic to dogs. I’m surprised the movie doesn’t do anything with that. Pleasantly surprised. FG doesn’t go out of its way to humiliate and torment Cinch as some movies would.
It’s sweet that Cadence cares so much about Twilight’s future. This might be my favorite appearance from her since A Canterlot Wedding.
What More is Out There basically repeats what was just told to us. It’s pretty pointless. I don’t care. It’s pretty, dammit! I love Twilight’s singing voice and the magical background music. This song is charmingly Disney princess. And as a fellow nerd, I can relate to Twilight a lot. I was a kid who couldn’t relate to the thrill of competition and was something of an anti-social bookworm. I like this song. I like every song in this movie, and each one feels unique and stands on its own. I would say this is my 3rd favorite song in the movie. However, if we’ve talking about the duet version in the deleted scenes, then bump that up to 2nd. Originally, this song was going to have both Sunset and Twilight singing and have more of a point. I like that version more. It’s just more elaborate and complex. I can see why they didn’t run with the idea of Sunset considering going back to Equestria. The idea of her thinking of abandoning her friends is questionable and I’m not sure they could have pulled it off. But here in this song, I appreciate the concept, and I also like the deleted scene of her talking with pony Twilight.
I like the design of Human Twilight more than… Pony Human Twilight. The Crystal Prep uniforms are really nice, and she looks good with her hair up.
I think it’s funny that the entire song is just Twilight walking to the principal’s office. I also think it’s funny how dark and intimidating Cinch’s office is. Who’s even allowed to have their principal’s office look like that?
I like Cinch. She’s the generic haughty snobby sort, but it never irritates me. She’s prim and has dignity and class. I don’t find anything she says eye rolling. When she makes her deal with Twilight, I can tell that she’s thought this through and is the calculating sort. And her voice acting never gets too over the top and cartoony for me to buy.
I like the little detail of Twilight constantly pushing up her glasses. It’s an endearing quirk.
We’re introduced to Crystal Prep’s entries in the Friendship Games. Some were annoyed they didn’t make a bigger appearance. I see them as one note characters who are perfect for a small role, though I do note that it’s not obvious to me which girl is supposed to be a negative reflection of which mane six. I think there are a couple shots that try to make it obvious, but it doesn’t stick in my head. Sour Sweet bugs me a little, but not too much. Sugar Coat is awesome and has some of my favorite lines in the movie. I enjoy her deadpan as much or more than Maud’s. Indigo Zap is nicely intimidating for Twilight. Some thought that she should have been Lightning Dust. That doesn’t make sense to me, as the other girls aren’t based on ponies. In fact, that was the reasoning the creators gave. Some also thought that Cinch should have been Sombra. Since when did people start liking Sombra? At any rate, Cinch’s personality is not like what I would imagine Sombra’s would be like. Lemon Zest likes loud music. Sure, okay. And Sunny Flare . . . did nothing memorable.
Everyone at CHS recognizes Twilight, as they should. Nice irony. This is also my favorite use of Flash in the series. Poor guy. None of the girls ever stop and think, “Gee, does anyone wanna go tell Flash what’s up with this other Twilight?” I like how there’s this romantic moment as Flash is slowly putting on Twilight’s glasses and then she just runs off. Then there’s a tiny appearance from Derpy. Although I like the fan service in the first two movies, I actually prefer the more minimal fan service in this one because it allows the movie to focus on more important things.
“You know my dog’s name too?” God, how creepy would that be? Love it.
“Magic came into this world when I stole Twilight’s crown. If we have to forfeit the games because I can’t think of a way to keep it under control…” Sunset dumps on herself a lot in this movie, but it doesn’t bug me because the things she says do make sense, and she listens when Rarity says that what they needed to defeat the Dazzlings was her.
Sunset is smart enough to realize that she can simply go through the portal to visit Princess Twilight. Nice. Too bad she didn’t think of it sooner.
I like that Pinkie skips as opposed to doing her pony hops.
The party isn’t going so hot, Pinkie gets it going, ponys up, and gets her magic sucked out. Formulaic, but not a bad scene or anything.
I actually didn’t realize the first time that Twilght’s device began spitting out portals because it sucked up the portal magic. It had to be explained to me. It’s neat that it isn’t spelled out for the audience. The effect for the portals is pretty cool.
We’re Gonna Bring You Down has a nice intense beat. The first time I heard “We can smell your fear, we can HEAR you sweat” and I found that quite an eye widener until I listened to it again. This is quite the elaborate competition considering how many different trials there are just in event one. I love fiction. I don’t agree with people who say truth is stranger than fiction.
In the commentary they explain that the choir for both CHS and Crystal Prep was the same. The kids asked how they were supposed to sound different, and the humorous explanation was, “When singing for Crystal Prep, try to sound more annoying.”
The “can she who it, who will win it” part doesn’t exactly hold up to repeat viewings when I know who will win.
I like this song, but the singing seems a bit too epic considering what we’re watching is stuff like baking and spelling.
It’s obvious the first time that Crystal Prep doesn’t have much enthusiasm for their teammate scoring a victory, as they hardly clap for Twilight. But I only noticed on repeat viewings that as Twilight is climbing the stairs the others aren’t cheering for her, unlike with Sunset, and that Sunset’s friends still encourage her even after she loses, while Twilight stands alone. Nice touches.
Though we’re 40 minutes in out of 70, this is when I feel the movie enters its second half and I have more issues.
Twilight and Fluttershy have a super cutesy bonding moment, and then some magic bullshit happens and now Spike can talk. Okie dokie. Spike being able to talk doesn’t really do anything as far as I can tell. It’s pointless. But, I can’t say I don’t like the scene that follows. Twilight is appropriately freaked out, and calms herself before it gets obnoxious. “I don’t really understand why I couldn’t before. I mean, it’s so easy.” is my favorite Spike line since… gosh, maybe season one.
Sure is lucky Twilight was standing next to the only locker without a lock to shove Spike in. Nothing wrong with little contrivances like that in an animated movie.
WTF Pinkie’s eyes drifting apart. Guess an animator got bored. That doesn’t seem like something that would be in the script.
The insanely high budget second event begins, combining archery, skating, and… motorcross. The magic of cartoons. Any crazy thing can happen. I like the archery scene a lot. It’s paced very well. Sour Sweet is instantly badass, while Twilight and Fluttershy are appropriately bad. Fluttershy seems to get in a lucky hit. Applejack is able to do it once she steadies herself. It’s easy to feel for Twilight as her legs shake and her eyes water. Maybe Cinch’s plan wasn’t so hot after all (man, I used to hate it when people would use hot to mean anything other than temperature or sex appeal, what’s with me?). Applejack taking the initiative to help her out might be my favorite scene of hers since Sisterhooves Social. It has more to do with kindness or generosity than honesty, but whatever. She’s being good. Good is magic. *fart sound* This is another example of the mane six bonding with Twilight.
The detail of Sour Sweet being freaked out by talking Spike is nice.
Twilight going in for the hug with Applejack instead of the high five reminds me of the ending of Daring Don’t, and is a sweet moment.
Twilight once again lets her device suck out magic and manages to drop it like a klutz. Her stupidity with the thing is a little aggravating. Her managing to make a device she barely understands is one of the harder elements of the movie to suspend my disbelief at.
The motorcross scene is both pretty cool and a bit of a clusterfuck. There’s a lot going on with the riding and portals and plants, and something about the pacing or directing keeps me from getting super excited. Maybe it would’ve helped if they’d shown where in Equestria these plant monsters are coming from. The faculty is pretty nonchalant about the fact that lives are on the line. This attitude combined with Twilight being a dumbass makes me a little bit annoye-
“What do you mean, you don’t know how!? Is there anything you do know, like how to get our magic back, or how to fix the portal to Equestria!? You’re supposed to be so smart. But did you ever think that maybe you shouldn’t be messing with things that you don’t understand. And worst of all, you put the lives of my friends in danger!” And that’s my favorite scene, addressing both my issues at once and being quite the dramatic “the reason you suck” speech. I love how big it is, with Sunset’s crazy expressions and great voice acting. I’m happy that she calms down and regrets her decision afterwards, but I wouldn’t have minded if it had taken her a little longer to cool off.
There’s another thing I like about this scene in retrospect. Although what Sunset says is warranted, it doesn’t help anything. All it does is push Twilight away from the bonding she‘d been beginning to experience with the mane six, and closer to making her decision at the end of the movie, where the decides to place the search for knowledge at greater importance than the safety of others, a more extreme version of her choosing the study program over making friends. Some complained that it felt like Midnight Sparkle and her evil, evil ways came out of nowhere, and I felt the same way the first time, but now I feel like the whole movie is building up to it. I think they’re trying to say that if she had chosen the study program, she would have turned cold, and not worried about the consequences her experiments would have had on others.
Cinch and Celestia bickering over cheating is pretty dumb after lives were just put in danger. This scene’s a great example of why the movie’s a bit of a guilty pleasure for me.
“I should know how to control the magic I brought here. But I don’t. I let everyone down. And now Principal Cinch thinks we’re cheating. The students here at CHS don’t just want to win. They want to beat Crystal Prep. It’s not going to count if the other side doesn’t really think they’ve lost. Crystal Prep is never going to believe we won fair and square if there’s magic around, and that magic is only around because of me.” This attitude is not good for Sunset, but everything she says is true, so I can’t be annoyed with her.
The final event is just some flag hunting thing. I guess it doesn’t matter. It’s not what the climax is about.
Unleash the Magic begins, my 2nd favorite song in the movie. Like What More is Out There, it feels a bit like it repeats what we were just told. And again, I like it anyway. The creepy kids choir is really cool and eerie, and I like the blue backgrounds too. The way the background disappears, the kids closing in on Twilight, and Cinch’s hands appearing out of the blue to grab Twilight really work with the forcefulness of what’s happening. But in the end, it’s Twilight’s decision, and she makes the wrong one. Twilight’s sucked into the magic in what appears to be a pretty horrifying manner.
I’m not as into the design of Midnight Sparkle as a lot of people. It looks kinda weird to me. And I don’t really buy the danger of the climax, as Pegasus ponies in Equestria could just save the kids. I do like the Crystal Prep kids turning out to not be pure evil and going in to help. At first, I was a little disappointed at how similar this is to the first movie’s climax, but I do like the parallel. Sunset is able to help Twilight because she’s learned from her own mistake. But what I really like about the climax is Sunset bringing Twilight back from the brink. Where her yelling only pushed Twilight away, her kindness pulls her away from the dark side. The sound of her voice and the bright light and background music during the “take my hand” scene are beautiful. And without even going into ship fuel, there’s a nice closeness in the aftermath, with a ragged Sunset grabbing a hold of Twilght’s hands.
“Twilight!” I guess that was the point of Spike talking. He could’ve gotten her attention with a bark though. At any rate, I do like that Spike is the key for Sunset to the able to overpower Twilight. She had a friend all along. So, Spike barks afterwards, but can apparently also talk. So, I guess he’ll be talking in EG4. I kinda liked non-verbal Spike.
And then comes my least favorite moment in the movie. The school board would not believe Cinch if she told them about the magic. Why does the school board not know about magic? How did they keep this hidden from the world? When did they decide this? I know these teenagers have cell phones. At some point these events would have ended up on the internet for all the world to see. Luckily, I do really like the moment where Cinch almost loses her cool, but then straightens her shirt and just walks away, keeping her dignity. She wasn’t crazy or completely stupid, and that’s refreshing for a character like hers.
At first, I was a bit disappointed that Twilight didn’t want to stay at Crystal Prep and spread friendship there. But, then I put myself in her shoes, and realized that if I were her, I would want to be near the people who had been nice to me, especially Sunset.
“I was so busy waiting for someone else to give me the answers that I gave up looking for them myself. I’m sure that there will be more magical problems that pop up in this world. But like Applejack said, Princess Twilight has her own problems to worry about in Equestria. We can’t expect her to always be around to help us.” Nice character development. Another step in Sunset’s journey.
A happy ending, a nice little tie in with The Cutie Re-Mark, and that’s Friendship Games. It’s not a perfect movie. I’m not even sure it’s a smart or well written movie. But I love it. I knew I’d go on longer about it than any episode. Not only it one of my favorite movies visually, and not only do I like all the songs, but it just has so much more variety than either of the first two movies that it does a much better job of keeping me invested.

Wrapping Up
Welperooni! Here on Microsoft Word I’m at page 126! I’m not sure if anyone will actually read through this thing. I wrote it for myself, to get the three and a half years worth of thoughts about this show out of my brain and onto the digital page. But if someone does read it, I hope I come across as someone just expressing my opinion and not trying to make a quality argument. I also hope I did a good job passing their time, and that perhaps they saw a few nice things about episodes I like that they’d never seen before. Just a couple non-review lists to cap this off, and then I’ll be ready for season 6. I can’t believe it’s coming this very month! *squee smile*

Top 33 Favorite Songs
33. Find the Music in You
32. Rules of Rarity
31. Better Than Ever
30. Acadeca (We’re Gonna Take You Down)
29. Cheese Confesses
28. Shine Like Rainbows
27. Bats
26. The Pony I Want to Be
25. Helping Twilight Win the Crown
24. Light of Your Cutie Mark
23. Find a Pet
22. A True, True Friend
21. Unleash the Magic
20. Make This Castle a Home
19. B.B.B.F.F.
18. Bottles of Oats on the Wall
17. Generosity
16. What More is Out There (taking duet into consideration)
15. Smile Smile Smile
14. Giggle at the Ghostie
13. Babs Seed
12. The Ballad of the Crystal Empire
11. Hearts Strong as Horses
10. You’ll Play Your Part
09. My Past is Not Today
08. Pinkie’s Lament
07. Art of the Dress
06. Celestia’s Ballad
05. This Day Aria
04. Winter Wrap Up
03. CHS Rally
02. What My Cutie Mark is Telling Me
01. Pinkie the Party Planner

Top 30Favorite MLP Characters
I’m not taking fan works into account, though I like Lyra from Background Pony and Fluffle Puff from the Youtube series a lot.

30. Zipporwhill
29. Trouble Shoes
28. Big Mac
27. Tank
26. Cranky Doodle Donkey
25. Bulk Biceps
24. Gilda
23. Principal Cinch
22. Gummy
21. Luna
20. Hooffield and McColt families
19. Angel
18. The Yaks
17. Sugarcoat
16. Spike
15. Cadence
14. Cheese Sandwich
13. Maud Pie
12. Suri Polomare
11. Sunset Shimmer
10. Daring Do
09. Tirek
08. Diamond Tiara
07. The Cutie Mark Crusaders
06. Discord
05. Pinkie Pie
04. Rainbow Dash
03. Rarity
02. Fluttershy
01. Twilight Sparkle

“If I can put the tiniest dent in the perception that “girly” equals “lame” or “for girls” equals “crappy”, I’ll be very satisfied.” - Lauren Faust. Thank you Lauren, and thank you everyone who put real effort and heart into such a silly sounding idea.