Season's over, time for loose impressions · 10:04pm Nov 29th, 2015
For starters, Zombons is apparently canon, or at least its final chapter. Also, I'm pretty sure that's how writing of this episode went:
Not that I think it's bad, because it was awesome. More on it in the final episode rank, starting from the weakest:
Appleloosa's Most Wanted
I didn't like Troubleshoes and the fact that the CMC were suddenly back to their pre-Flight to the Finish "let's do something dumb to get our cutie marks" selves. I know it was to foreshadow a later episode, where they get their cutie marks, but this one was just bad.
What about Discord?
I can't really recall what that episode was about, except that it was dumb. Hmm, it had Discord and Twi's friends having inside jokes, right? Yeah. Still bad.
Bloom and Gloom
Princess Luna checking out CMC's dreams, part III, this time starring Apple Bloom. Somehow, we went from a great Sleepless in Ponyville, through quite good For Whom Sweetie Belle Toils to... this.
Princess Spike
It had flaws, but on the other hand, it gave us sleep-deprived Twilight, as well as a certain nerdy pony and the Fargo shout-out with hooves. One could say it wasn't bad... for a Spike episode.
Tanks for the Memories
Overreacting RD is overreacting. Also, no punishment for, like, destroying the weather factory? Okay...
The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone
The first of the mapshipping episodes and apparently the worst, despite Pinkie and Rainbow Dash usually having a good chemistry. Probably the best part of it was worldbuilding (if we believe the new Equestria map, it's actually the longest trip they ever took), though I guess it kinda disappointed me, after all.
Party Pooped
THIS EPISODE NOT PERFECT! YAK SMASH! Generally, Pinkie Pie is much better in episodes where she's the main focus than when she's demoted to extra (see: Filli Vanilli). This episode had the Pinkie I like, but also had yaks. Seriously, a small village in the mountains declaring war on Equestria is a big deal? Unless they have Getafix on their side.
Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep?
The one in which Luna's emo thoughts almost take over Equestria. Apart from that, a pretty solid episode, if a bit trippy. Justified because dreams.
The One Where Pinkie Pie Knows
The one in which we learn that Shining and Cadance conceived Kwisatz Haderach. Also had nerdy Shining and Pinkie being Pinkie. Enough for a nice episode.
The Cutie Remark part 2
RIP, bugged timeline's Zecora, we'll miss you. As mentioned above, Starlight's redemption was possibly the worst part of the finale. Seriously, she screwed up the whole timeline because a guy saved her from being on a receiving end of a book Jenga, got his cutie mark and ran away? On a side note, I already wrote a (bad) minific on that topic:
"Here Lies Starlight Glimmer: She Never Scored". Twilight knew letting Rainbow Dash prepare the funeral wasn't a good idea.
Scare Master
Did we... actually get a good Fluttershy episode? And we got it earlier? What is this madness? Also, Granny Smith in a horse mask. That's not something you easily forget.
Hooffields and McColts
Worms: The Episode. Mapshipping again, this time with an unlikely duo of Twilight and Fluttershy. From a technical standpoint, DHX did a good job on all those pony models and designs. Story was predictable, but done well. Oh, and it made inbreeding canon. Depending on your perverted mind, it may be a bad or good thing.
Amending Fences
That face. Enough said.
Canterlot Boutique
A funny one, and gave us some cute background ponies (yes, this one too). Also, with a good message and fashion horse. One never gets enough fashion horse.
Made in Manehattan
Mapshipping roulette: Rarijack edition. Coco's back, Babs is (kinda) back, we get more of Manehattan, we get Rarijack. Something else?
Brotherhooves Social
What makes it a good one is that scene at the end when Big Mac and Apple Bloom speak. Oh, and Big Mac in drag, but that's a totally different thing.
Castle Sweet Castle
A nice, heartwarming closure for the S4 finale. Quite a strong start for the S5 (and then, unfortunately, we got Bloom and Gloom).
Make New Friends but Keep Discord
Before the episode aired, everyone talked about it being a Smooze episode. Then, a certain high horse happened.
Hearthbreakers
Stay off Holder's Boulder! Seriously, this season had bad CMC episodes (except of one), but Pinkie episodes were actually pretty decent. Not to mention one of the keys to S5: worldbuilding. This time, we got Pinkie Pie's sisters (who, for me, are more interesting than her, especially Limestone) and parents. Oh, and Apple Bloom is actually a reverse Pinkie: in her episodes, she's obnoxious, but when the episode isn't about her, she's actually quite good.
The Cutie Map
The map episode with the whole gang, and the season opener. We got a few new characters (well, my prediction that Sugar Belle would become fan favourite didn't exactly come true. But I like Night Glider more anyway), and a whole new place to play with. We also got a good villain (that is, before it turned out that she never scored) and, of course, "but I didn't listen" face.
Rarity Investigates!
Fashion Horse meets film noir. And we've met Spitfire's mom, because this fandom apparently needs milfs. Well, the daughter is pretty cute too...
The Cutie Remark part 1
The more awesome of the two because it didn't yet turn out that Starlight didn't score enough with these running gags. We got badass RD and a big damn playground for all the warfic writers. This also makes me wonder, how many potentially dangerous spells Starswirl the Bearded left for Twilight to deal with...
And now, time for the final three. So, the third place goes to...
Crusaders of the Lost Mark
Aka, the one in which the Cutie Mark Crusaders finally scoreunlike Starlight get their cutie marks. Also, the one that redeemed Diamond Tiara (because it's apparently pink ponies redemption season) and gave us Lily Longsocks. Oh, and this face:
*excited horse noises*
Slice of Life
Background ponies. Bug Bear crashing the wedding. Bon Bon being a spy. Gummy being Rorschach. Derpy speaking. Doctor bowling. A lonely changeling in the back row. The writers had a field day on that one, and even though it was pandering to bronies, it was a pretty nice piece of pandering.
And the winner goes to...
The Mane Attraction
Just when I thought nothing was going to beat Slice of Life, Rara happened. Despite the long list of ponies who died in my fics, I actually like cute stories and what can be cuter than little AJ? Little Rara, apparently. Along with little AJ. And with a cute little episode going with that.
Okay, I like Lady Gaga, kinda. But don't tell anyone.
Season 5 was rather mixed to me but it was a rather good season but the second-half of the season finale almost ruined it for me.
I liked almost every episode. :/
I think season was pretty much a great season I would say only 3 episodes weren't my favorites (Princess Spike, What about Discord, and Canterlot Boutique). I don't understand why most people don't like Party Pooped I mean other than the Yaks it was a pretty decent episode I'll rewatch it again. Bloom and Gloom was pretty predictable and I will agree Sleepless in Ponyville was the better Luna-CMC episode. I thought The lost Treasure of Griffonstome was the best map episode with The Hoofields and the McColts being the worst one. As for the finale I will admit that Starlight being forgiven shouldn't have happened. I would rather have her as a reoccurring villain constantly trying to foil the Mane 6, but maybe they did it to mirror the EG movies so it can be 7 there and 7 here at least that is what I think. In all I think season 5 was almost perfect and possibly my favorite season of all time.
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For me, the worst episodes came shortly before the hiatus, apparently.
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(that's why I like Pinkie more than Fluttershy: most of the Fluttershy's episodes aren't that good, though Scare Master was fine).
Party Pooped was a Pinkie Pie episode, it's hard to screw that up (even the yaks didn't manage to stop me enjoying it)
3581614 Yeah I'm a Pinkie Pie fan and her episodes are enjoyable, but with Fluttershy it's like they always push the reset button with her. In Scare Master she is back to being cowardly even though this is after taking down villains like Nightmare Moon, Discord, and Tirek. That is kind of the reason I didn't like Filli Vanilli. People always go after Pinkie Pie in the episode but Fluttershy is way worse or maybe I should say how she was written was worse. She has performed numerous times and yet somehow she's afraid to sing in front of ponies all of a sudden that episode pretty much sums up why I don't like FLutterhy and even though Scare Master wasn't a bad episode it still had that reset button flaw. I mean she was afraid of plastic spiders but earlier she was talking to a real one without even flinching how do you explain that?
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I guess it was a friendly spider xD But yeah, in the first season, Fluttershy managed to scare an adult dragon away. Since then, she only got worse (meanwhile Twilight got more social – the most jarring part of What About Discord? was how S1 she felt – and Rainbow Dash got less of a jerkass. Flutters is still in the same place).
3582101 Yeah, pretty much.