Season 5A: My Thoughts · 7:30am Jul 13th, 2015
The Cutie Map - 5/5
A strong opener with a unique antagonist and a somewhat more complex story than the prior premieres and finales, and does a good job introducing the new mechanic of the Cutie Map.
Castle Sweet Castle - 5/5
An impressive episode with genuine emotion, that goes a long way toward helping me not hate the new castle.
Bloom And Doom - 4/5
A good outing for Applebloom that helps address the Cutie Mark concept, and a fairly decent finale to the Luna-and-Crusaders arc, but not the most memorable.
Tanks For The Memories - 5/5
An episode that leaves me feeling pleasantly nostalgic for the days of Season 2, this does an excellent job of addressing grief in a show for children, and showing Dash's softer side without needing to pull a Mare-Do-Well first. Plus, the Game Of Thrones reference was too painful/wonderful not to mention.
Appleoosa's Most Wanted - 4/5
Another episode that is strong but somewhat forgettable, this one is still worthwhile for its foray back into AAAAYYYYAAAAPLE-OOWWSSAAHHHH!!!!
Make New Friends But Keep Discord - 4/5
An episode that makes the "'reformed' Discord" concept work mostly to its advantage, this one deserves praise for the continuity, the successful retooling of another G1 villain, further evidence of a benign but trollish solar diarch, and a memetically dank pony I never would have expected to see from this show.
The Lost Treasure Of Griffonstone - 5/5
Worldbuilding! Adventure! RainbowPie! GILDDAAAHHHH!!!!!
Slice Of Life - 4/5
Zany and fun, this episode may not be the strongest in objective terms, but for sheer fanservice (and interesting new material to freshen up age-old background pony memes) there is no finer source.
Princess Spike - 3/5
It's telling that even this season's "worst" episode is still a fairly good one - but it is ultimately held back by a disconnect between the moral and the events that would supposedly support it.
Party Pooped - 4/5
Despite some sloppy structure and some notable "tell vs. show" moments, this is still a very strong Pinkie Pie episode. Now, if only the entire fandom hadn't picked up the Idiot Ball when it came to discerning the Yak's motivations for smashing stuff up...
Amending Fences - 6/5
The show's single greatest episode since Best Night Ever, this is as close to perfection as Pony is likely to get. Really, what more can I say?
Do Princesses Dream Of Magic Sheep? - 4/5
It's always good to see more of Luna, and the conflict and moral were very good, but something about this one just left me cold. More examination may be required.
Ranking, from GOD TIER to Pretty Decent:
1: Amending Fences
2: The Cutie Map
3: Castle Sweet Castle
4: The Lost Treasure Of Griffonstone
5: Tanks For The Memories
6: Party Pooped
7: Make New Friends But Keep Discord
8: Bloom And Doom
9: Appleoosa's Most Wanted
10: Slice Of Life
11: Do Princesses Dream Of Magic Sheep?
12: Princess Spike
Overall, I have to say that unless things change drastically for the worse in S5B, I have a feeling Season 5 as a whole could very well be the best yet. If nothing else, it will have the honor of having brought us Amending Fences.
The break is disappointing, but it's not a huge deal - and I'm really looking forward to Friendship Games in the meantime.
Is there any episode you would give less than a 3/5 to? Like, overall? (Though I guess it wouldn't mean anything if these ratings are relative to the season.)
3234191 Oh, plenty; just none in Season 5 thus far. (just some examples; Twilight's Kingdom, Spike At Your Service, and Somepony To Watch Over Me are among my 1/5; and Mare-Do-Well, Magic Duel, and Trade Ya! are only a few out of the ones I'd classify as 2/5.)