Overview of Season 5's First Half (How's The Season Doing So Far?) · 3:37pm Jul 12th, 2015
Well, for the first time in FiM history, we've got a mid season hiatus. We had to wait almost a year to get Season 5, but it seems to have been worth the wait.
Let's see how the episodes stack up, and what they accomplished.
Episodes 1 and 2: The Cutie Map a.k.a Cutie Markless Parts 1 and 2 (Written by Scott Sonneborn and M. A. Larson, Story by Meghan McCarthy)
This two parter was a surprise largely for how different it was. Rather than follow the usual formula of two parters being centered around Twilight, this one focused on the group as a whole. Starlight Glimmer was a very entertaining and cunning antagonist, and the equal ponies of Double Diamond, Sugar Belle, Party Favor, and Night Glider proved to be incredibly entertaining. Already, it looks like we'll be seeing more of Starlight Glimmer come the season finale.
Episode 3: Castle, Sweet Castle (Written by Joanna Leiws and Kristine Songco)
This episode touched on the destruction of the Golden Oaks library, which is what many people wanted to see out of Season 5. And to an extent, that's what we got. But we also had a plot of the rest of the mane six trying to make the new castle feel like a home, and compared to what was suppose to be the focus, there was no way that sort of plot would be as entertaining or memorable. It also seems that the thing shown at the end is not how the morals will be delivered.
Episode 4: Bloom and Gloom (Written by Josh Haber)
Even if it was a tad predictable, it was still nice to see an Apple Bloom episode. And it brought about the end of the triology of LunaxCMC episodes. It also included an out of nowhere bombshell about Babs Seed getting her cutie mark, and that raised a lot of questions about the future of the CMC. Time will tell where they go with this, and whether or not Babs really did get her cutie mark.
Episode 5: Tanks For The Memories (Written by Cindy Morrow)
Cindy Morrow's return to the show after being absent in Season 4 was a nice return to form for a writer suited to heartfelt emotion. Although this episode seems to indicate the writers don't give much thought to continuity in the long run, it still showed that death isn't a subject that the show can't tackle. Personally, while I can see the similarities to death, I don't think that's really the case. Not because I don't think the show would do such a thing to tip toe around the subject, but more because not every case of grief is triggered by death. There can be all sorts of things that trigger the five stages.
Episode 6: Appleloosa's Most Wanted (Written by Dave Polsky)
It was this episode that started a trend of Season 5 being a season of callbacks, because we got to return to Appleloosa and see Braeburn again. Troubleshoes appears to be one of the few things everyone can agree the episode did a good job with, especially considering everything else that happened. I do hope that this is not a sign that Polsky is going back to his old comedic ways, because I really think he was better once he shed that style of writing.
Episode 7: Make New Friends But Keep Discord (Written by Natasha Levinger)
We'd had episodes in the past where Discord was a major character, but this was the first time he truly got to be the star of an episode. And in his first appearance in the new season, Discord did a good job of showing how far he's come, and how much he still has to learn. This episode also seemed to cement Season 5 as being the season for new facial expressions, particularly from Fluttershy. And as is often the case with Discord episodes, there were a ton of references and "Blink and you'll miss it" moments. And we certainly can't forget Maud burning Discord, definitely a season highlight.
Episode 8: The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone (Written by Amy Keating Rogers)
For the first PinkieDash episode since "Griffon The Brush Off" back in Season 1, and the first episode to involve the magical map since the premiere, this episode did not disappoint. Gilda's return was something that many people wanted, but just as many thought would never happen. And both Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash got a chance to shine on their own. But what everyone is willing to remember the most from this episode is young Gilda at flight camp. My only question is, what do griffons call their young? Do they call them chicks?
Episode 9: Slice of Life (Written by M. A. Larson)
Perhaps the one time a show can jump the shark, and then quickly return to form as if it never did so in the first place. There is a lot to talk about, and a lot that deserves to be mentioned. But since we don't have all day I'll just list the highlights. We've got Cranky and Matilda's wedding, Derpy Hooves speaking again (even if the show staff had to call her "Muffins" to keep the soccer moms from throwing a fit), Time Turner speaking with a British accent, Bon Bon revealing herself to be Secret Agent Sweetie Drops, Octavia and Vinyl Scratch being roommates, Gummy being deep, and Princesss Celestia and Princess Luna having a moment as actual siblings. And if you thought the fan pandering was confined to just this episode, you're sorely mistaken.
Episode 10: Princess Spike (Story by Jayson Thiesen and Jim Miller, Written by Neal Dusedau)
This episode seems to have come from three different directions that were hastily mashed together, and as a result it feels like a jumbled mess that can't decide what it wants to do. The biggest problem was the episode punishing Spike for his decisions that he made with good intentions, while ignoring the decisions he made out of greed. Perhaps the one good thing to come out of it, aside from more Fancy Pants, was Princess Cadence interacting with Spike.
Episode 11: Party Pooped (Story by Jayson Thiesen and Jim Miller, Written by Nick Confalone)
WIthout a doubt, this was the first time a Johnny Test writer wrote an episode of FiM that wasn't poorly recieved by a majority of the fandom, or turned out meh. Even though the Yaks may have been rather one note, everything else about the episode was top notch. We got to see the return of Cheery Jubilee and Dodge Junction, and I don't think anyone expected to see Pinkie Pie have a party planning cave in the basement of Sugarcube Corner. It's stuff like this that makes you wonder how much the writers really know about the fandom.
Episode 12: Amending Fences (Written by M. A. Larson)
Another heartfelt episode that was highly enjoyable, and went all the way back to the pilot of the show. Even if it ultimately confirmed a certain background pony's name as Minuette and not Colgate, people weren't mad. Moondancer, though ultimately another foil to Twilight Sparkle, was well recieved. And already, she's being shipped hard with Twilight. One thing to note is that this episode was the first breather episode since "Appleloosa's Most Wanted", and although it didn't feature the magic map, this was a return to Canterlot that everyone was glad to be a part of.
Episode 13: Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep (Story by Jayson Thiesen and Jim Miller, Written by Scott Sonneborn)
Leading into the mid season hiatus with a bang was this stunning take on the fan favorite "Nightmare Rarity" arc from the IDW comics. With Princess Luna being the star of an episode once again, and the fandom nods being everywhere, this was an episode that so many people enjoyed. Though quite a few were disappointed at the lack of Princess Celestia. And of course, there's Rainbow Dash's nightmare which has got everyone talking about it. The climax was also impressive, and it was really surprising to see that Princess Luna created the threat to punish herself for her actions in the past.
Episode Rankings:
13. Appleloosa's Most Wanted
12. Castle, Sweet Castle
11. Princess Spike
10. Bloom and Gloom
9. Tanks For The Memories
8. The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone
7. Amending Fences
6. Party Pooped
5. Make New Friends But Keep Discord
4. Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep
3. Slice of Life
2. The Cutie Map a.k.a Cutie Markless Part 1
1. The Cutie Map a.k.a Cutie Markless Part 2
Now we'll see how these 13 episodes compare to the episodes of the same number from the past four seasons. Remember, this is not offical by any means.
Episodes 1 and 2: Friendship is Magic v.s. The Return of Harmony v.s. Crystal Empire v.s. Princess Twilight Sparkle v.s. The Cutie Map a.k.a Cutie Markless:
The winner is - (in a close battle) Princess Twilight Sparkle. This two parter ultimately had more to prove than The Cutie Map a.k.a Cutie Markless, as it needed to prove that it could work with the changes brought about the end of Season 3.
Episode 3: The Ticket Master v.s. Lesson Zero v.s. Too Many Pinkie Pies v.s. Castle Mane-ia v.s. Castle, Sweet Castle
The winner is - Lesson Zero. I don't think Lesson Zero will ever be topped as the first slice of life episode of a season, not after everything it did. It's practically impossible to top such memorable moments.
Episode 4: Applebuck Season v.s. Luna Eclipsed v.s. One Bad Apple v.s. Daring Don't v.s. Bloom and Gloom
The winner is - Bloom and Gloom. No one could've seen Babs Seed getting her cutie mark coming, whereas it was somewhat inevitable that Princess Luna would return to the show at some point after the fandom latched onto her so heavily.
Episode 5: Griffon the Brush Off v.s. Sisterhooves Social v.s. Magic Duel v.s. Flight to the Finish v.s. Tanks for The Memories
The winner is - (in a close contest) - Magic Duel. Seeing Trixie return and seeing her get revenege on the ones who ruined her life, all the while eventually turning her into an anti-hero, was well done. A case of fan service done right, though Season 5 would prove this wasn't a one time fluke, and Trixie's redemption has since lost some of its appeal. All of the episodes here were pretty good, so picking a winner was hard.
Episode 6: Boast Busters v.s. The Cutie Pox v.s. Sleepless in Ponyville v.s. Power Ponies v.s. Appleloosa's Most Wanted
The winner is - Sleepless in Ponyville. This episode was already guranteed to impress, being a Scootaloo episode. And what we got was amazing, and very feels inducing. Only Power Ponies stood even close to a chance at topping this episode, and it was crushed heavily. It would seem that outside of Season 3, the sixith episode of each season has not been all that good.
Episode 7: Dragonshy v.s. May The Best Pet Win v.s. Wonderbolt Academy v.s. Bats! v.s. Make New Friends But Keep Discord
The winner is - Make New Friends But Keep Discord. The top notch humor, outstanding references, and impressive animation and storytelling ensured that this episode would be a great one. It had some tough competition, but it blew all threats right out of the water.
Episode 8: Look Before You Sleep v.s. The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well v.s. Apple Family Reunion v.s. Rarity Takes Manehattan v.s. The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone
The winner is (in a close race) - Rarity Takes Manehattan. The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone was a worthy opponent, and this episode beat it out by just a hair. But when we had Dave's first serious episode, Rarity's first episode in over a year, and Coco Pommel, there just wasn't any way this episode could be anything but number one.
Episode 9: Bridle Gossip v.s. Sweet and Elite v.s. Spike at Your Service v.s. Pinkie Apple Pie v.s. Slice of Life
The winner is - Slice of Life. Pinkie Apple Pie was a bit of a challenge, but all of the outstanding and memorable moments from the 100th episode of the show easily ensured a victory for Slice of Life.
Episode 10: Swarm of the Century v.s. Secret of My Excess v.s. Keep Calm and Flutter on v.s. Rainbow Falls v.s. Princess Spike
The winner is - Keep Calm and Flutter On. The last two choices obviously weren't going to win, and Swarm of the Century easily lost out to Secret of My Excess, but the worldbuilding in that episode, as well as the Fluttercord shipping fuel of Keep Calm and Flutter On led to a victory for the latter episode.
Episode 11: Winter Wrap Up v.s. Hearth's Warming Eve v.s. Just for Sidekicks v.s. Three's a Crowd v.s. Party Pooped
The winner is - Party Pooped. Out of all the choices here, this one was the most solidly written. All the others had some problems, some had more problems than others.
Episode 12: Call of the Cutie v.s. Family Appreciation Day v.s. Games Ponies Play v.s. Pinkie Pride v.s. Amending Fences.
The winner is - Pinkie Pride. It wasn't as obvious this time around, but Pinkie Pride remains a masterpiece that even an episode as powerful as Amending Fences couldn't top.
Episode 13: Fall Weather Friends v.s. Baby Cakes v.s. Magical Mystery Cure v.s. Simple Ways v.s. Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep
The winner is (in a close contest) - Simple Ways. All of these episodes were great at being what they were, but it was the comedic moments of Simple Ways that allowed for it to beat out the competetion. I have great respect for emotional episodes, but comedy is a genre that is tough to get right in today's world, and Simple Ways managed to show how to do it properly.
Tally: Season 1 - 0 Points, Season 2 - 1 Point, Season 3 - 3 Points, Season 4 - 4 Points, Season 5 - 4 Points
So far, Season 5 is tied with Season 4 in terms of overall quality. Let's hope it at least stays that way in the second half. But for now, let's move onto the characters. There's quite a few to talk about, but do note that I won't be discussing the background ponies that were thrust into the spotlight in "Slice of Life".
Starlight Glimmer: Another foil to Twilight Sparkle, Starlight still makes for a very unique and interesting villan. Though we still don't know how she was able to do what she did, or why she thinks the way she does, she has captured the attention of millions of fans. We already know she's returning in the Season 5 finale, but time well tell what (if anything) will change about her when she pops up again.
Double Diamond: Originally Starlight Glimmer's righthoof stallion, he acted as her eyes and ears in making sure things stayed as they should. But when the truth about Starlight was revealed, Double Diamond saw the light and joined the rest of the town in chasing her away. Sadly, perhaps because of his sudden switch from bad to good, he placed last in a poll of the four equal ponies on Equestria Daily.
Sugar Belle: A sweet and innocent baker, Sugar Belle was forced to make muffins that tasted awful. She was the one who alerted the mane six to signs of trouble in the town, and it was little surprise when her cuteness got her to take second place in a poll of the equal ponies on Equestria Daily.
Party Favor: A unicorn with a talent for balloon objects that could function as the actual objects they were based on, Party Favor was the one who took the fall for his friends telling the mane six about the vault. Convinced that Starlight Glimmer was too strong, he proved to be a tough nut to crack. But when the truth was revealed, he proved to be an essential part in getting the cutie marks back. Strangely enough, he was shipped heavily with Pinkie Pie and Double Diamond after the premiere, and many people started calling him the new R63 Pinkie Pie. Perhaps because CheesePie fans weren't too thrilled with that, Party Favor ended up in third place in the poll of the equal ponies.
Night Glider: Though only revealed in the show credits, Night Glider seemed to capture the popularity of Rainbow Dash as well as the personality. With that in mind, it's little wonder she took first place in the equal ponies popularity poll. And it's also little wonder she got shipped with Sugar Belle so much. Sadly, it would seem that she and the rest of the equal ponies have been forgotten about for the time being.
Fluffy Clouds: I know there were other pegasi in charge of preparing for winter, but Fluffy Clouds was the ony one among them that later turned out to be a delegate. Originally, many people suspected he was the pegasus equivalent of Cheese Sandwich, much like how many people assume Surprise The Wonderbolt to be the pegasus equivalent of Pinkie Pie. I wonder if perhaps the friend who stole his seat was Open Skies or Clear Skies?
Troubleshoes: Perhaps the tallest pony of all, Troubleshoes is a gentle giant that wouldn't hurt a fly. Unfortunately, his big size makes him a bit of a clutz, and for a long time he thought his cutie mark symbolized bad luck. He now has a promising career as a rodeo clown, and he's no longer convinced he's cursed with bad luck. Time will tell if the rest of Equestria forgives him for the years of grief he caused at rodeos.
Tree Hugger: Fluttershy's hippie friend that first met Fluttershy on her trip to see The Breezies. Tree Hugger is incredibly mellow and laid back, and it takes a lot to get her to worry. Discord got quite jealous when she ended up being Fluttershy's plus one to the Grand Galloping Gala, and he certainly didn't like how she was able to calm down The Smooze with her soothing vibrations. But in the end, all was forgiven.
Grandpa Gruff: Gilda's grandfather who remembers the good old days of Griffonstone, and longs for those days to return. His reciepe for scones needed some work, but when Pinkie Pie added her baking powder to them they were delicious. It seems that he may be the one who raised Gilda, though we don't know for certain.
Prince Rutherford: The Prince of Yakyakihastan, Rutherford hides his face behind his bushy hair, and rarely shows it except for when he's angry. His temper gets him into trouble when he threatens to declare war on Equestria, but he quickly sees the error of his ways thanks to Pinkie Pie. He's sparked quite a bit of interest in the "Rage Review" group.
Moondancer: One of Twilight's old Cantelort friends that idolized Twilight to the point where she became a shut in when Twilight didn't show up to her party. Moondancer eventually let out her pent up feelings, and when Twilight apologized and fixed her mistake, Moondancer was willing to give friendship a second chance. She's still being shipped quite heavily with Twilight, though the fandom is having a hard time properly naming the ship.
Quite an interesting list of characters so far. Though a few of them are more memorable then others. Now let's examine this season to see what's good, and bad about it.
The Good:
"The Cutie Map a.k.a Cutie Markless" was a surprisingly fresh two parter that subverted a lot of previous two parter cliches and tropes.
Starlight Glimmer might just be the best antagonist of all time, dethroning Discord who is no longer a villan, and even beating out King Sombra.
Fluttershy has been heavily consistent in her character growth this season, and quite a few times she has stood up for herself against her friends.
Pinkie Pie has been a lot more subdued and less random, though she's still had a few moments of stupidity.
Rainbow Dash's character has shown more signs of growth this season, especially in her spotlight episodes.
"Slice of Life" and "Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep" showed that the show could gives fans what they wanted without going completley overboard.
This has been a season of callbacks and more emotional stories, and I hope the trend continues into the second half.
The Bad:
Spike's spotlight episode didn't do him any favors.
Applejack's overprotectiveness of Apple Bloom has become really stale at this point, and the writers haven't been able to do much with her, so she and Rainbow Dash have switched places on my mane seven ranking. I would swap Rarity and Fluttershy as well, seeing as Rarity hasn't been all that great so far. But I want to be fair and give Rarity a chance, since she hasn't been in the spotlight yet (Applejack had "Appleloosa's Most Wanted").
The new side of Diamond Tiara we were promised hasn't shown up yet, though this is because Diamond Tiara has only appeared in one episode so far.
"Appleloosa's Most Wanted" made the CMC backpedal from their growth, and it seemed to damage Dave Polsky's reputation that he built up in Season 4.
M. A. Larson isn't a good replacement for Meghan McCarthy as a story editor, though it seems he was trying his best.
The Babs Seed cutie mark bombshell raises a lot of questions that the show doesn't seem to want to answer.
Princess Celestia hasn't been given a lot of attention this season, though her appearances in "Make New Friends But Keep Discord" and "Slice of Life" were enjoyable.
All in all, Season 5's first half is pretty good. It could overtake Season 4 in the second half, as Season 4 seemed to burn itself out in the second half and it took "Maud Pie" for it to get back on track.
That Magical Sound of JCP Record Shop!
Wherever you go, whatever you do, and whatever mood you're in, JCP has somepony available that is right for that moment. The biggest Equestrian stars with their greatest hits are available on the Magical Sound at the JCP Record Shop.
We'll prove our point by presenting to you three starters, with more albums to follow.
ZIPPORWHILL
The Glorious Golden Voice Of... HMV CLP 1481
BABS SEED
Babs '66 (Dynagroove) RCA LSP 3453
Jeder Treffen Versuchen mit... (German) ARIOLA 80 008 IT
What do you think makes Starlight Glimmer such an interesting antagonist?
3231439 Probably the fact that it doesn't take a random magic artifact or item to defeat her. She succeeds on her own skills, and through her own ability to plan ahead and neutralize threats.
3306674 Wow, I'm surprised that "Princess Spike", "Bloom and Gloom", and "Appleloosa's Most Wanted" are so high. And I'm surprised that more emotional episodes like "Amending Fences" and "Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep" are so low.