Season 4 Review · 10:06pm Oct 3rd, 2016

Wow, four Seasons of Friendship is Magic, huh? Nice! Season 3 was…a trainwreck, if you ask me, but maybe Hasbro has finished scrambling and has remembered what makes this show work. Onward!

Princess Twilight Sparkle: Hmm, interesting start. Right off the bat they address the fact that things have changed, so the continuity is good. The first half flows really nicely with some really tender moments, the kind this show was really meant for, Celestia nuzzling Twilight like a mother and promising she’ll be here to help, Pinkie (correctly) guessing Twilight is worried about being left out and sending her a letter, and hey, they even address an error in judgement by the writers. When Rarity says EVERY pony wants to be a princess, Rainbow disagrees, and justifiably, since, to my knowledge, such a stereotype was used to justify why, from a writing perspective, they made Twilight a Princess. Not that her role isn’t deserved, it is, it’s just an incorrect reason has been corrected. Once the second half rolls around, things get a bit more…subjective. It’s questionable that Twilight had so much trouble with the threats, considering what she’s capable of. On the other hand, the cragadile caught her by surprised, and she probably would have been fine, and the flowers are justified in my mind, because no one can resist being suffocated. I would have preferred more indication of Twilight’s competence, but it’s actually pretty reasonable. It is good how, while the Mane Six think of Twilight as their friend first and foremost, they do acknowledge their duty to her as a necessary part of their relationship. Twilight’s detractors have said part of why she doesn’t deserve to be Princess is because she falls apart under pressure. THIS episode nicely proves them wrong, as while Twilight was clearly nervous, she was in her element and handled herself really well, giving orders to the guards, and calming the populace. Discord is back, and he’s more like how I remember him. Entertainingly evil and chaotic, although I question how threats of losing friendship are supposed to stop him given that such a concept is against the core of his being, and they do acknowledge his “previous” villain status. Seeing the actual moments where Celestia and Luna take out Discord, and Celestia fighting Nightmare Moon were really nice touches. This episode was dark, but not overly so, the pacing was good, and the characters behave mostly how we expect them to. My only complaints about this episode (Twilight’s competence, “Good” Discord, and the Tree of Harmony feeling like a cop-put) are relatively minor, and it keeps you immersed from start to finish, so I’d say this is a Good episode.

Castle Mane-ia: Right away, we’re back to silly little comedic episodes, and I thought this one was pretty fun to watch. It’s easy to see this was a pure comedy episode with no real depth or intended lesson, but that’s fine, as some of the best works of fiction switch between serious and lighthearted as it needs to. Considering this was intended as a comedic episode, I’m afraid there’s really not much to talk about. Having the Mane Six exploring the castle independently and unaware of one another made it easier to believe they’d be that easily spooked, and allowed for some good gags of them running across each other, scaring each other by accidents. The pace moved quickly, but without too much haste, allowing time for the gags to take effect, without taking away from the story, which leads to a satisfying conclusion once they actually meet up. The reveal with Pinkie wasn’t hard to guess, but then, I don’t think it was meant to be. The gags were all well-timed, and even when they weren’t necessarily original, they were delivered in a way that wasn’t forced and didn’t drag out the story. Pure comedy episode are tricky to comment on because there isn’t much detail to give, and it basically boils down to: “I liked it, it was funny”. Though…there were a couple things I didn’t really care for. First off, the way Spike was handled. I know Spike is supposed to be a Butt Monkey character, but it’s rarely if ever pulled off well, since this show, wonderfully well written as it is, is constantly making a cardinal mistake of comedy. The Butt Monkey receives no sympathy from their cast mates. Whenever Spike gets hurt, the rest of the cast don’t seem particularly bothered, even though Spike did nothing to deserve the suffering he went through. One thing this show DOES get right is that Spike is rarely, if ever, ACTUALLY hurt, unlike in “Feeling Pinkie Keen” where Twilight’s injuries are visible and extreme. Spike as a Butt Monkey would be funnier if the other characters were more inclined to show concern for him. A Butt Monkey character done correctly would be Misery from “Ruby Gloom” as the other characters are ALWAYS sympathetic towards her when she gets hurt. This episode was especially hard to watch because the suffering Spike went through was emotional, which can hurt more than physical. He’s visibly scared through the entire excursion, but receives no comfort from his surrogate big sister / mom. I know Twilight is supposed to be “Innocently Insensitive”, but that’s supposed to be a legitimate character flaw, and doesn’t lend itself well to comedy. The other thing I didn’t care for was the blatant Les Yay between Applejack and Rainbow Dash. I’ve never been a fan of this pairing (Or really, of any Rainbow Dash pairing) and it was REALLY forced. Apparently Megan McCarthy is a fan of the pairing, so she tried to enforce it. The same writer who tried to enforce Shining Armor as a good big brother, and Chrysalis as a competent villain. The “shipping” between the two tends to be based on a rivalry that DOESN’T EXIST. Applejack and Rainbow Dash showed a rivalry in ONE EPISPODE, “Fall Weather Friends” and that wasn’t due to a “Worthy Opponent” mentality, it was because Rainbow couldn’t accept second place due to her ego, and Applejack was offended by Rainbow constantly cheating. Funny how fans tend to pair up Rainbow with the Element of HONESTY in an episode where Rainbow was completely DISHONEST. Grossly exaggerating certain character traits do NOT make them more plausible as a couple, it makes pairing them up for more forced when stuff like this comes completely out of nowhere and with no buildup. People often pair up Applejack with Rarity or Rainbow Dash by grossly exaggerating things that were meant to show them overcoming their differences to become FRIENDS, which is the real theme of the show. Remove the unnecessary Butt Monkey role for Spike and the forced Les Yay and you’re still left with an episode that lacks any real depth or character growth…but that can be excused since this one was focused on the comedy, which was mostly done well the entire episode. Good episode.

Daring Don’t: This episode has a good name, as this one really shouldn’t have been done. I know Daring Do was a big hit with the fanbase, and they’ve delved into her world, making their own stories. I haven’t seen them personally, but considering what this fanbase has shown itself capable of in terms of fanart and fanfiction, I don’t doubt the fan content of Daring Do was done really well. The problem is, Daring Do should have remained in her own world, and should not have been revealed to be “real” in Equestria, I think. Reasons? First off, Daring Do strikes me as being too similar to Rainbow Dash, not just in looks, but personality, being rather abrasive and having a rather high opinion of herself. Why is this a bad thing, people may ask, especially Rainow Dash fans? Because we’ve seen this character before, and she was done well the first time. I’m not fond of Daring Do as she is in this episode because she is way too similar to a pre-existing character, but without the three-dimensional personality and originality that made said first character work. I may not be the biggest fan of Rainbow Dash herself, but I will say she is a good, well-written character. I also don’t have the highest respect for Daring Do’s intelligence, to put it politely. She writes about her adventures and releases them to the general public where ANYONE, such as someone familiar with her would recognize, without altering any details about the adventures themselves, or her name and appearance? Complete with her HOME ADDRESS? Surprise, surprise, her enemies track her down. It also comes off as egotistical to give the full details of her adventures and her apparent awesomeness instead of making them BASED on her adventures. As far as the Mane Six goes, they really came off as amateurs, staring in shock at the fight instead of HELPING her, not to mention coming off as evenly matched against a group of no-name thugs, when they’ve already taken down everything from forces of nature to outright deities. Considering those goons always lose to a single pony, the Mane Six working together should not have had so much trouble. In addition, the lesson of this episode was not to put someone too high on a pedestal, less your image of them be broken once they learn the truth. I know I’m not the only person to think they could have done this with a pre-existing character Rainbow already has a connection to, like Spitfire. Maybe they could have done an episode focusing on Daring Do’s world, but this wasn’t it. This episode mostly revolved around what is basically a less original, less interesting, less likable Rainbow Dash, plus Rainbow fangirling over her. Bad Episode.

Flight to the Finish: Yes, yes, YES. This is possibly the best episode I’ve seen in some time. Even before the theme song rolls we’re treated to the characters being introduced in a very likable fashion. RAINBOW Dash is at her best here, cocky, but not overly so, and encouraging toward those kids over something that would actually be good for them. Something that made me uncomfortable with “Sleepless in Ponyville” was how Rainbow seemed to encourage Scootaloo being reckless. The Crusaders are instantly likable when Scootaloo makes a comment making it very clear they’ll be working as a team, no one of them seizing the glory for themselves. Plus who can deny that their act was, well, awesome! There really is no denying that had a great idea showing Ponyville as a place of equality for all races, almost feeling like a callback to “Hearths Warming Eve” which showed the three tribes were originally racist toward each other, but overcame that. Rainbow looked ready to drop bricks over their performance, but tries to be cool for the sake of professionalism. This does make the Crusaders think their performance wasn’t as good as they thought, creating a bit of conflict, but that furthered the story, as Rainbow can’t be blamed for that, as professionalism IS important, and it made her a bit more fleshed out as a character to see her fighting down her natural instincts. The doubt the Crusaders feel then opens them to ridicule by Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, and even those two were interesting this time around. Seeing nothing they can insult about the performance forces them to switch to a new tactic. This, plus what MAY be a grudging respect for the Crusaders fleshes them out a bit more as villains, as opposed to using the same tired old tactics they’ve always used. Well, that and we see Character Development for the Crusaders when they shrug off the insults about not having their Cutie Marks. Plus, with all the focus the Crusaders get as a group, it really is nice seeing them get focus as individuals, like Scootaloo feeling embarrassed that she can’t fly yet. It was disappointing that Apple Bloom actually did turn against Scootaloo, as wasn’t just attempting reverse psychology, but give the frustration they were all feeling, it is understandable, as it helps that they immediately felt bad about it afterwards. Rainbow didn’t even have to call them out on it, but it did encourage them to go back and get their friend, who they never truly abandoned, just got briefly frustrated with. It occurs to me that Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo just might have the healthiest and most sincere friendship on the show, as they’ve always overcome their problems, and have never abandoned one another (*CoughcoughCanterlotWeddingcoughcough*). There was something else nice about this episode but I can’t think of what it…oh yeah, SCOOTALOO ISN’T HOMELESS. While this possibly means no more Twilight adopts Scootaloo stories, it was still comforting to know Scootaloo has a home, and legal guardians. Also, we have a moment in the Rainbow Dash / Scootaloo dynamic I can actually get behind, with Rainbow making it clear that even if Scootaloo IS disabled, she, Rainbow Dash, the top-class athlete, STILL thinks Scootaloo is awesome, so Scootaloo gets the encouragement she needs from the one whose opinion actually matters. While one could point out Diamond Tiara was essentially bullying Scootaloo for being physically disabled, I personally think the blow was softened by the fact it didn’t work and Diamond Tiara straight up LOST because Scoots overcome her insecurity and succeeded DESPITE Diamond Tiara’s efforts. She definitely could have used more karma for being especially horrible, but against, I think the blow is softened, and little is more satisfying then seeing a jerk fail, and realize their efforts were for naught. Admittedly, “Hearts as Strong as Horses” is probably one of the weaker songs in the series (The Crusaders had MUCH better performances in “Perfect Stallion” and “Bab Seed”, and “We Are The Cutie Mark Crusaders” was arguably So Bad It’s Good) but the main downside for this episode was Silver Spoon returning to being a bully with no redeeming qualities, when the fanbase has been awaiting redemption ever since “Family Appreciation Day”. All the same, a very Good episode.

Power Ponies: This episode got off to an awesome start, with Twilight and Spike, with Twilight getting the Cool Big Sis role that tragically doesn’t get as much attention as it deserves. Her genuine curiosity at what Spike was interested in, her clear pleasure at seeing him so happy, and even letting him stay up another couple of minutes to read his comic, we seriously need more scenes like this. The rest of the episode is more gimmicky, but I don’t see that as a bad thing, either on a personal level, or from a writing perspective. A gimmicky concept, though often controversial, can be executed well. This really was more about fun shenanigans, and makes for a nice breather episode. I think I don’t even have to bring up that Spike has been either incompetent or unlikable in his previous focus episodes, so we finally have an episode that does him justice. The way he freed the Power Ponies was clever, and it was wonderful seeing the Mane Six express so much confidence in him. I can’t complain too much about the Power Ponies having trouble with their power, since Twilight was using a spell she’s presumably never used before, and Rainbow was relying on an object instead of her innate Pegasus abilities. I find it interesting that the only time Spike, aka Hum Drum, failed was when his cape got in the way, which was hardly his fault. It makes me wonder if Hum Drum is really incompetent, or if he just has bad luck. Edna Mode was right, capes are a hindrance. The only thing that really bug me is the ending where the existence of these “Magical Comics” are kind of hoof-waved, considering how outright DANGEROUS they seem to be, unless there is merit to the Alternate Character Interpretation that Mane-iac is an In-Universe Dungeon Master. Despite the potential danger, the Mane Six just kind of laugh this off. I would think that even if she wasn’t a Ruler of Equestria, Twilight would want to investigate. Overall, a fun, simple episode that doesn’t need too much character depth, but still shows the different personalities while giving Spike a chance to shine, and giving special focus on Twilight and Spike’s relationship. I think I can call this one a Good episode.

Bats!: While I don’t take every opportunity to hate on her like SOME “fans” of this show, even I will admit Merriwether episode tend to be pretty hit or miss. This one is….neither, at least to me. Applejack, to me, feels like a Designated Villain this episode, as her position, trying to protect her crops which provide her livelihood, is very understandable. Fluttershy meanwhile sort of feels like a Designated Hero, as it seems like we’re supposed to completely side with her protecting the bats. While I’m all for keeping nature safe, it isn’t presented well here. Fluttershy keeps making excuses for the bats and wants Applejack to just leave them be, acting like all this makes it okay that they’re destroying Applejack’s crops. Then comes the part where the group basically gangs up on Fluttershy instead of talking things through, which especially comes off as harsh for Twilight, give that if ANY of them should be above this, she should. On the upside, Twilight WAS the one to try and reach a compromise, so that both Applejack and Fluttershy will be satisfied, though this leads to a good stretch of the episode feeling pointless as they try to catch Flutterbat. There were a couple funny moments, but overall it felt like you could have cut Flutterbat out entirely without affecting the plot, as THAT doesn’t seem to contribute to Applejack learning to compromise…which Fluttershy DOESN’T have to learn, as she gets her way, even though Applejack’s stance was easier to sympathize with. It’s…not really a bad episode, just….pointless and forgettable. I’d have to rate this as a Meh episode.

Rarity Takes Manehattan: I…must admit, I really don’t know how to handle this one. Whenever I think about this episode, the first thing that comes to mind is how badly Rarity treats her friends, and how quickly they forgive her. I don’t have a problem with that in and in of itself, since it goes with the theme of the show. No, my problem is that it reminds me of “Canterlot Wedding” where Twilight acts badly and everyone condemns her without even giving her a chance to apologize or put things right. Come to think of it, it also reminds me of “Putting Your Hoof Down”, where once again, a Main Six member is nasty, but is forgiven for it. Why is it that every Mane Six member but Twilight can act badly and doesn’t even have to make amends before they’re forgiven, but Twilight is condemned and not even given the chance? Seems like a double standard, really. At least “Putting Your Hoof Down” came BEFORE “Canterlot Wedding” and didn’t involve Twilight, but since this came after, it comes off as hypocritical, especially as Twilight forgives Rarity here, when Rarity wouldn’t forgive Twilight. As such, the Double Standard bothers me so much I feel I cannot give an objective review, so I choose to Abstain from this one.

Pinkie Apple Pie: This was a fun one. Plenty of humor, good characterization for the most part (Especially the hints that Macintosh is really smart), good pacing, and a good lesson. Two of them, in fact. Come to think of it, we really don’t get to see many, if any, episodes that focus on the Apples as a family, so seeing how happy thee four ponies are was long overdue, and it does tie into exactly *why* they’re happy together. It’s not because their relationship is perfect, it’s because they love each other to work through the bad times together, which also applies to friendship. Still, this episode bugs me. I think I’ve made it clear in the past that I think Pinkie gets too much favoritism from the writers, and it shows here, because of course PINKIE is the one they’re delighted to be related to. Also, the part that irked me the most was Apple Bloom saying she’s got a big sister now that she “knows” Pinkie is related to her. Never mind the fact that she and Pinkie almost never actually interact, and it feels like it undermines her relationship with Twilight, who has actually been a big sister to her, as much as, if not more than, Applejack. Heck, she’s even the one who says good friends can feel like family, yet she’s not referring to the one of Applejack’s friends who has MOST been like family to them. Not that I’d want Twilight to be related to the Apples, seeing as I support Twilight x Macintosh. Still, that is partially a personal thing, so I do honestly have very little complaint about this one, and I’m willing to rate it as a Good episode.

Rainbow Falls: If I was doing this review in video form, I’d likely be ripping off the Nostalgia Critic by saying I took notes on this episode, and then I’d hold up a piece of paper that just says: “Why?” over and over again. This is one of the more frustrating episodes I’ve seen, if only due to how blatant the problems with it are. Rainbow is a character I can be quick to criticize due to her abrasive attitude, excessively high self-esteem, and her Loyalty coming off as an Informed Attribute. This episode more annoys me on her BEHALF, as it felt like they were TRYING to make her sympathetic, but didn’t think things through at all. The situation she’s in is that she’s tempted to turn against her team for one that’s more athletic, but it really comes off as contrived in my opinion. The fact that her teammates are Fluttershy and Bulk Biceps ruined my suspension of disbelief, since suspension of disbelief only applies so long as what’s happening is believable In-Universe, and I don’t buy that Rainbow’s teammates are Fluttershy, who is a strong flier, but only under the proper motivation, I.E not competiveness, and Bulk Biceps who can barely fly at all. What happened to Thunderlane? What happened to the dozen or so other Pegasi in Ponyville more qualified? I know it’s a cartoon, but it’s still a story, and a story has to make some degree of sense. Right off the bat, the setup makes this one hard to take at face value, and then you get how easily Rainbow was tempted. I get that even the Elements of Harmony have their moments of weakness, even in regards to their Element, but it should NEVER be this easy, not regarding the trait that defines the character. Rainbow, as always, is too easy to tempt into abandoning Loyalty. I would find it more believable if she was REALLY stressed out, and showing hesitation, but she’s so eager about it that Twilight has to call her out on her lack of Loyalty. Rainbow should not have to have her own Element pointed out to her, it should come naturally to her. Unable to decide what to do, she removes the need for a decision by pretending to be hurt and once again, another character, Twilight, has to call her out on it, as not making a decision, is in itself a decision. Again, it felt like they were TRYING to make Rainbow sympathetic, but didn’t take a careful look at how she comes off. Finally, any sympathy she might have had coming goes out the window when she publicly calls out Spitfire on her lack of Loyalty to Soarin. This is supposed to be impressive, but here’s what bugs me. Twilight had the decency to criticize Rainbow in private as not to embarrass her. Rainbow then chews out Spitfire IN PUBLIC while publicly avoiding blame for her own behavior. Yes, Rainbow PRIVATELY acknowledges fault, but PUBLICLY avoiding blame while chewing out Spitfire for the same thing. This really comes off as hypocritical on Rainbow’s part, and makes her look bad when we’re supposed to be rooting for her. Oh, and speaking of characters looking bad, Spitfire! Oh Spitfire, what did they do to you? Remember back in “Rainbow Falls” when Spitfire was introduced as nice, humble, and likable, and then in her next appearance in “The Best Night Ever” where she got the same characterization? The characterization that made her so beloved by fans? Yeah, THAT Spitfire is gone, and has been replaced by this winning obsessed jerk. I may not really have liked the way Spitfire was characterized as hard-nosed and stern in “Wonderbolts Academy”, but I can understand, since this is part of her job. Spitfire has NEVER been a jerk who cared more about winning than about others, so it feels like she’s been replaced by an imposter who knows nothing of what the real Spitfire is like and is too incompetent to find out! …Oh, oh wait, that’s it! That wasn’t Spitfire, it was Chrysalis! It explains everything! Including why nobody seemed to notice a difference. On a more minor note, we see Griffons this episode, but sadly none of them get any personality, so missed opportunity there. About the only good thing about this episode was that Twilight was portrayed accurately, as she was kind and patient, and while it was great to see Derpy back again, a simple cameo is no replacement for a good story. This was unfortunately another Bad episode, and it looks like we’re slipping back into Season 3 quality.

Threes a Crowd: Ah, THIS episode, the return of Discord. This episode provides solid evidence of exactly WHY Discord should never have gotten a redemption episode. Why? Because he’s not redeemed, he’s just as much of an outright douchebag as he was before his quote unquote “Redemption”. He hasn’t changed, simply put. Just because he’s not throwing all of Equestria into shambles doesn’t mean he’s not using every opportunity to make others miserable. Point in case? This episode. He spent all day faking an illness solely to impose on Twilight and ruin her day with her sister-in-law. Yes, I know Cadance said that it’s alright, since she had fun, but no, it is NOT okay. Twilight didn’t know what Cadance wanted, and Cadance didn’t say anything, AND Discord was honestly TRYING to cause them trouble, and was DISAPPOINTED when things worked out for the better. It’s not about how things turned out, it is about INTENTIONS. Discord spent all day hurting a character who did nothing to deserve it, and this is somehow supposed to be funny. I know it’s supposed to be humorous, but I don’t see how a sympathetic character having her day ruined is funny. Discord supposed to be a goofy, reality warping Comic Relief character…except we already have one of those. Her name is PINKIE PIE. So Discord, when introduced, was an interesting, threatening, and actually funny villain, but now he’s Pinkie Pie 2.0. We’ve seen this character before, but done BETTER. For all that I complain about Pinkie getting away with her antics, at least she actually means well, and has no malice, unlike Discord. Discord has become Pinkie, but without Pinkie’s likable and redeeming qualities, or her originality. In my opinion, Discord was one of the best characters when he was first introduced, but post Hazy-Feel Turn, has become one of the worst. This character has been done before in this same show, but better due to actually being likable. I know people will tell me to lighten up because it’s a cartoon, and those scenes are meant to be funny…but that is the same attitude behind the Torture Porns in “Spongebob Squarepants”. It may not be nearly as bad, but they’re going down the same path, so it could get there someday if the writers don’t turn back now. You know how some Professional Wrestlers can’t quite sell themselves as a Face, but are excellent at being a Heel? That’s Discord, he may never be a convincing Good Guy, but he’ll always be one of the best at being a Villain. Also, I double-checked this episode due to the complaints against Rainbow Dash…and seeing as I’m usually the one pointing this out, I really don’t want to say it again but…Rainbow DID blatantly ditch her friends. I want to give Rainbow Dash credit as a likable and well-written character, but the writers seem to forget about Loyalty anytime it’s convenient to a plot or even individual scene. Oh, uh, minor note here, I confess to being among those who mis-blaimed Megan McCarthy for Flash Sentry showing up. Turns out she wasn’t at fault, it was the animators doing. Considering how negatively Flash Sentry was received by the fanbase, one has to wonder why they thought this was a good idea. That being said, there IS a good thing to Flash Sentry showing up. Notice how Twilight doesn’t seem to notice or remember him? I guess he meant THAT little to her, despite her falling for him, so it’s good seeing the ship sunk, seeing as the character was pointless and badly introduced to begin with. I can’t bring myself to outright hate this one, I barely even dislike it, but looking at this form a Writing Perspective: The entire thing is a likeable character being unhappy the entire episode through no fault of her own at the hands of someone she did nothing wrong to, for no reason other than needless cruelty, and said antagonist doesn’t even really shown to be in the wrong, AND even his comeuppance doesn’t work because he’s still treated sympathetically. I know it’s meant to be humorous, but I’ve never seen what’s funny about a jerk being a jerk for no reason. It’s far from the worst in any cartoon, but it’s still poor form. One good thing though, is that Applejack and Rarity slightly redeemed themselves for the Canterlot Wedding debacle by being willing to put up with Discord in order to stop him from ruining Twilight’s day with Cadance. Between this episode being fairly inoffensive, and most of the Mane Six being likable, I’ll give this one a pass and give it a Meh rating, though I do hope this is the worst it gets as far as mean-spirited behavior being portrayed as “funny”.

Pinkie Pride: I find myself not as…enthusiastic about this episode as most other people. “How can that be!?” you might shout. I suspect because it’s a Pinkie focused episode written by Amy Keeting Rogers. Having had probably the most consistently bad portrayals of any member of the Mane Six seems to have soured Pinkie as a character for me, and Amy Keeting Roger is usually at the helm when that happens, though other writers have been guilty of this as well, such as Megan McCarthy and even M.A. Larson. There are even hints of previous favoritism popping up here, namely DIAMOND TIARA of all ponies not disliking Pinkie, which brings back uncomfortable memories of “A Friend in Deed”, one of my personal most hated episodes. That being said, this episode is considerably less offensive than most Pinkie-Centered Rogers episodes, as for once Pinkie is actually fallible. Seeing Pinkie stepping outside her comfort zone to attempt things she’s not familiar with, and not doing very well, made the character more believable and easier to relate to and sympathize with. I don’t mind Pinkie using Cartoon Physics, since that is the base of her character, being the Element of Laughter, it’s when she’s universally loved and extremely good at everything that the character starts becoming harder to accept, so this episode was a breath of fresh air. Most of the episode is Pinkie’s self-discovery, which was interesting and heartfelt, and while I’m not as big a fan of Cheese Sandwich as most are, I do find him likable. I’m kind of turned off by how similar he is to a pre-existing character, like Daring DO with Rainbow Dash, but unlike Daring Do, Cheese actually manages to establish himself as a character in his own right, and not just a Pinkie Clone. Plus his similarity to Pinkie is actually explained, as he was inspired by Pinkie when he was younger. I do have a gripe with the fact that of all the Mane Six, Pinkie seems to be the only one who is consistently shown to have bonds with towns ponies outside their group, which calls back to my complaint that she seems universally loved, which is unrealistic, but in a Bad Writing kind of way, as opposed to cartoonish. Ignoring problems with the character in the past, and focusing on this episode on its own merits, I can’t say I have any major complaints. Despite the fact that the music is usually Polka style, a staple of Weird Al songs, I felt like they didn’t take full advantage of the celebrity guest appearance. Weird Al is awesome, we all know it, but if you don’t have an ear for different genres of music, like myself, you might not notice the connection to Weird Al at all. Still, the fact that it’s Polka music is certainly something, and I’m pleased to know Weird Al is a fan of Friendship is Magic! Ignoring my personal issues with Pinkie’s portrayal in the past and focusing on THIS episode, the conflict was easy to sympathize with, as no one wants to be upstaged at the thing they’re best at (Even Twilight, judging by “Boast Busters”) Cheese is actually rather original considering he’s based on a pre-existing character, and Pinkie has to actually accept fault for her own behavior at the end, a rarity in any FiM episode, let alone an Amy Rogers one. The Goof Off was funny, and just as funny was the revelation that Twilight has a book with instructions for a Goof Off (She’s such a nerd, and I love it). So yeah, my complaints are minor and more personal, so I would that Amy Rogers can take pride in knowing this was very much a Good episode.

Simple Ways: Bleah, I really can’t say much about this one. Most of the episode centered around Rarity’s crush on Trenderhoof, who I found to be a very forgettable character, and there really doesn’t seem to be any actual sustenance to the story. Applejack and Rarity imitating one another’s lifestyles was kind of funny, but the rest of the episode was devoid of actual content, so it would have worked better as a pre or post episode short, like they do in Ruby Gloom. No, it wouldn’t have to lack context, because considering how much depth Trenderhoof’s character had, it could easily have been compressed. Not much to say here, it wasn’t really a good or a bad episode, just forgettable. I’d rate this one as a Meh episode.

Filli Vanilli: My best friend loves this episode, so I hate to be critical of it, but I can’t say I was impressed. First off, I don’t really like the concept this episode is based on. I know Fluttershy has been going through Character Development to be less shy, but her shyness has always been one of her most endearing character traits, as it made the fans very protective of her, so it only goes so far before you remove what made the character so lovable to begin with. I’ve compared her to Pinkie before, the allegedly two kindest characters among the Mane Six (Personally I say Fluttershy and Twilight) but the difference is that Pinkie is the kind of Over the Top-In Your Face personality that makes such a Kind Character hard to believe. Fluttershy being more visibly flawed makes her more believable, and her soft spoken mannerisms make her much less…grating. So if you make Fluttershy less shy and soft-spoken, she loses the traits that made her believable and endearing, so sometimes a character should only get so much Character Development. The songs were great, obviously, and the episode was cute, but I feel like Fluttershy becoming so much more outgoing removes a noticeable portion of her charm. Twilight is less kind than Fluttershy (at least on paper) but that allows her bolder more outgoing personality to remain believable. What I’m trying to say is, while the concept of this episode is cute, it doesn’t work in execution simply because of what you lose in terms of believable characterization. All this isn’t even getting into the worst thing about the episode, and I hate to say this considering how much I rag on this character, but it’s Pinkie Pie. I honestly like Pinkie for the most part, but it’s grating that no character is more overused and favorited by the writers, and THIS episode is one of the strongest examples of what I’m talking about. First off, Macintosh is the best in town at Turkey Calling, lost his voice in the competition, to Pinkie who is visibly unstrained and uninjured, implying she is BY FAR the best in town as Turkey Calling…once again showing how Pinkie is apparently perfect at EVERYTHING. On top of which Pinkie has the gall to show off her First Place Medal IN FRONT OF BIG MAC while declaring “Lost his voice AND his title!” Again, RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM. Wow. Just WOW. Lack of Empathy much? I also have to say I didn’t care for the Pony Tones being introduced out of nowhere with absolutely no buildup, since they’ve been around long enough for Fluttershy to become a fan. They appeared for this one episode with no prior buildup, just for a plot that took AWAY from the charm of the focus character. Also, isn’t Macintosh supposed to be shy? Why is he suddenly okay with being in the public eye? While the return of Flutterguy was funny, this episode was pretty much the worst way to do it. To top things off, Pinkie spends the final part of the episode basically TERRORIZING Fluttershy, albeit unintentionally. Even when the others DEATH GLARE her she still doesn’t get what she’s doing wrong. I know Pinkie is supposed to be “Innocently Insensitive”, but in episodes like this one she runs right by that without even slowing down into “Lack of Empathy”, AND she never actually gets called on it. This is Pinkie Pie at her worst, and not surprisingly, this is an Amy Keeting Roger episode, so time to contact Rogers and start threatening her-wait, WHAT!? Yeah, when I was looking up information on this episode, I was shocked to learn people actually THREATENED her over Pinkie’s behavior this episode. I dislike Pinkie’s behavior as much as anyone, but aren’t threats of violence going way too far? Particularly over a cartoon? Especially when the fanbase supposedly preaches Love and Tolerance? Criticism delivered in a mature fashion is fine, but threats of violence are absolutely unacceptable. Also, the cast of writers in GENERAL approved it, so once again, the writers cannot handle Pinkie’s character the way she was meant to be. At least most of the cast manages to be likable, so this still scrapes a Meh rating.

Twilight Time: It’s! Time! It’s! Time! It’s! Twilight! TIME! Okay, outdated references aside, I absolutely LOVE the concept of this episode. I’ve been a fan of the Twilight / Cutie Mark Crusaders relationship for a long time, and I feel it isn’t given enough attention. In his review, Silver Quill pointed out that the Crusaders sudden popularity due to their connection to the newest Princess even touches on the lesson in “Griffon the Brush Off”, knowing the difference between true and false friends. While Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are obviously not to be trusted, the rest of the kids in town are a better example of this. Only admiring Twilight because she’s royalty, and not because of who she is or what she’s done. Unlike the Crusaders whose opinion of Twilight hasn’t changed with her title, showing the true friendship that exists there, though I do have to admit I find it kind of odd that the other kids are focused on Twilight’s title, even though odds are pretty good that she’s interacted with them before, given her “Friend to all Children” tendencies. While the Twilight / Crusaders dynamic didn’t get that much focus, it was still touched on, and this episode had other things to its credit. For example, while the Crusaders are placed in the position of forgetting why they’re friends with Twilight in the first place, they never do. Sweetie Belle did brag that they get to hang out with Princess Twilight, but that was only in the heat of the moment because Diamond Tiara was taunting her. Other than that, they never actually focused on that in the face of who she is. Also, while Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are as unlikable as ever, it was interesting seeing a different side of them. Diamond Tiara even admits she never cared about Twilight until she was a Princess, nicely demonstrating what this episode was advocating against, and interestingly enough, she focuses on her own wants, and Silver Spoon has to try to keep up or be left behind. Possibly a hint that she may not be DT’s friend so much as her toady, providing the character with a sympathetic trait in the light of her previous sympathetic characterization in “Family Appreciation Day”. Unfortunately, SS never really does get another Pet the Dog moment. Most of the episode was focused on the Crusaders being popular because of their connection to an important figure, and while they did get swept up, never once did they stop caring about Twilight OR start using their status for self-gain, even being shocked and disapproving when they realized the other kids were being left out. This showcases the moral without preventing the Crusaders from being sympathetic. Also, while Twilight was out and about, note that the adults don’t really react to her presence, implying that Twilight is as respected as ever for who she as by the adults, even if some of the kids were more shallow. They’re kids, so I can grant them some leniency for that. While it is kind of a disappointment that Twilight’s relationship with the Crusaders didn’t get more focus, the fact that they’re shown to be close friends by itself makes me happy. Another great thing about this one was the fact that the Crusaders are getting individual development, focusing on their respective abilities and interests, and not necessarily on their Cutie Marks, such as Sweetie Belle finally learning to use magic, and Scootaloo learning how to perform maintenance on her riding equipment. Also, Silver Quill pointed out that Twilight is a GREAT teacher, giving the Crusaders the materials they need to learn, and supervising them while giving them positive reinforcement. Though I do find it strange that the Crusaders taking lessons from Twilight is a guarded secret, since I’m pretty sure who Twilight is and isn’t friends with is public knowledge. This doesn’t get a lot of attention, so it’s not a big deal, but it still bugs me. Some will criticize Twilight for being quick to believe the Crusaders were using her, but considering the number of times she’s been betrayed / sold out by her friends (Ponyville Confidential and Canterlot Wedding) I’d be surprised if she DOESN’T have trust issues. Plus, them showing up with a huge crowd that’s treating Twilight as a celebrity didn’t help their case, and then they ADMIT to it. We, the viewers, may know they never actually did that, but the characters don’t have the same knowledge we do, and the circumstances were pretty suspicious. Twilight was typically sweet, patient, and big sisterly this episode, and when she “found out” the Crusaders were “using” her, she doesn’t get mad, just turns away in cold disappointment, obviously hurt. Also, who can deny satisfaction at seeing DT and SS attempting to turn Twilight against the Crusaders only to have it thrown back in their faces, forcing them to slink out in defeat. Diamond Tiara may not get punished enough in general, but it’s still satisfying to see her lose, especially when she’s forced to acknowledge it. So yeah, most of the focus was on the Crusaders, and they were easy to sympathize with, Twilight was really likable, and her suspicion was understandable, and DT and SS were less obnoxious than usual, AND they lost utterly, even having to acknowledge it. Admittedly, it’s still disappointing that Silver Spoon hasn’t pulled a full Heel-Face turn, and it’s weird that the Crusaders need to keep their friendship with Twilight a secret, and that ponies Twilight has presumably interacted with before, such as Pipsqueak, only being friendly with her for shallow reasons. Though I do like the theory that Pipsqueak was blowing the whistle on the charade and alerting Twilight to the truth. I’m prepared to say this was a <b.Good episode.

It Ain’t Easy Being Breezies: The opening sets us up with the plot, and rounds things out with some nice humor. From there we meet the Breezies, an interesting new species, which suggests a bit of world building. Seabreeze was, I think, easy to understand from the get go. Sure he was nasty, but it’s already been made clear how little time they have to get back home, so his(!?) impatience is understandable. By the time he might have stopped being sympathetic, he’s expressed his own frustrations at how no one ever listens to him, so the timing there was great. Fluttershy was simply awesome here, and this was one of the best portrayals, if not THE best portrayal in quite some time. This was definitely an upgrade over, say, “Magic Duel” or “Keep Calm and Flutter On”. Not only was her rescue of the Breezies impressive, but the way she handled the bees was a much better version of Fluttershy learning when not to let others walk all over you. She honestly TRIED to reason with those bees, but since they kept ignoring her despite her best efforts, she was in the right getting fed up. It also helps that Seabreeze was in legitimate physical danger. Seabreeze learns about positive reinforcement, and Fluttershy learns that kindness only goes so far, and some people just don’t respond to diplomacy. Honestly? This episode was what “Putting Your Hoof Down” SHOULD have been. It’s also something quite a few fans of this show could learn, namely the Trixie fans who INSIST that if the Mane Six didn’t like Trixie’s behavior, they should have tried being nice to her. News Flash: Some people don’t respond to kindness, as Trixie is clearly an example, given her lack of gratitude to Twilight for SAVING HER LIFE. Good pacing, with Seabreeze becoming gradually less sympathetic until he realizes what he’s doing wrong and changes, coinciding with Fluttershy learning there are times you need to put your hoof down and be firm. The rest of the Mane Six was likable too, and Rainbow was surprisingly non-abrasive. I especially liked Twilight praising Fluttershy until she blushes, Twilight always has been the time to encourage others and make them feel good about themselves, so that was very in-character. It’s a shame the reason for the Breezies delay was because of Spike, but luckily no one got mad at him, and he was given the chance to apologize. It should be easy to see why I consider this a Good episode.

Somepony to Watch Over Me: This one was…awkward. Not painful, just, kind of uncomfortable. I know it was meant to be a more lighthearted episode with silly antics, but it just doesn’t take. Simple can certainly work, if it’s clever, but nothing really creative here. Applejack’s antics would have been more understandable if Apple Bloom had been hurt on her watch, or if at the end Applejack had revealed how hard it can be for an older sibling to watch their younger sibling grow up, and not feel as needed anymore. Not every episode has to have depth, but considering this show is known for complex characters and smart writing, a simple, silly episode would have been better off being more creative. The main saving graces to this one are Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo being awesome friends to Apple Bloom, as well as the only real source of humor, plus the Chimera was actually a really interesting character. A pretty Meh episode that doesn’t need anybody to watch it.

Maud Pie: Oh boy, this is one episode I’m probably going to get flak for. I’ve heard about Maud and was looking forward to her but, the results were…underwhelming. I know people find her fascinating for her blandness, but I just didn’t feel it. Maybe it’s because I was too busy feeling awkward and sorry for the Mane Six, as they REALLY went out of their way to accommodate Maud, but it really felt like she wasn’t willing to meet them halfway. For example, with Twilight. She ONLY wanted to recite her own poetry, and Twilight was willing to accommodate that, but Maud refused to listen to any poetry Twilight might offer her. In the end, they found a connection because they all love Pinkie. Because EVERYONE loves Pinkie, it’s impossible NOT to love Pinkie, and the writers just LOVE cramming that down our throats. Introducing Pinkie’s complete opposite and focusing on the contrast was an interesting idea, but somehow the results…look, I try to temper my opinion with the opinion of the masses if I can see where they’re coming from. “Stare Master” for example, I may not mind the Crusaders loud antics, but I can see where others might be annoyed. With Maud, I just don’t see it, I just don’t see what’s entertaining about her. I think it would have been better if they all realized that sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you just can’t click with some people, though you can still see what others see in them, Applejack even said something to that effect. Also, I didn’t care for the end when Maud rescued Pinkie, since it really didn’t feel right at all that the Mane Six had to be useless. Twilight has her magic, Rainbow has her speed, etc. I don’t mind Maud getting an awesome moment, but her speed and strength were beyond what my suspension of disbelief could handle, as she made Rainbow look slow, and Rainbow and Applejack look weak by comparison. RAINBOW DASH AND APPLEJACK. I want to like Maud, and I want to like this episode, but in the end, it felt like they took a good concept and went the wrong direction. I feel this was a Meh episode.

For Whom the Sweetie Belle Toils: Yikes. The first half of this episode was…brutal. It picked up in the second half, but the first part really bothers me. The story of a one-sided sibling rivalry is relatively well told. Relatively. While Sweetie Belle is meant to be sympathetic in her frustration, it doesn’t really sit well with me that this is the first time we’ve ever heard of her being jealous of Rarity due to Rarity constantly “upstaging” her. In the previous three seasons, SB has always practically worshipped Rarity, so it’s strange that she claims Rarity “always” upstages her, not to mention we’re only given ONE example, one that happened years ago, and apparently hasn’t affected their relationship if the previous THREE SEASONS are any indication. While I do have a half-sister, I grew up an only child, and the episode really doesn’t put me in Sweetie Belle’s shoes. The frustration at being upstaged by your sibling is supposed to be understandable, but…it’s not, at least not to me. Rarity was trying to HELP Sweetie Belle, because SB ASKED for her help, and Rarity put aside her busy schedule, nearly missing a deadline to help her. Which Spike even points out. SB KNOWS Rarity almost missed an important deadline to help her, so I’m sorry to be blunt, but Sweetie Belle came off as an ungrateful brat. Her anger comes out of nowhere with no foreshadowing, due to there NEVER being any indication of her feeling “upstaged” before. Even a throwaway line could have fixed this, where SB SAYS she’s always swallowed her jealousy because she genuinely admires Rarity, but no, it comes out of nowhere. Not to mention the Crusaders were strutting around expecting to be praised nonstop, so it came off less like SB was tired of being outshone, and more like her ego was wounded. I know she’s a kid, and I take that sort of thing into consideration, but sometimes circumstances prevent even a kid from having any excuse for their actions. Again, I know what the episode was TRYING to go for, and I commend it for that, but it comes out of nowhere with no buildup. Not to mention I really didn’t care for how the rest of the Mane Six just hustled themselves out of there. Twilight and Applejack at the very LEAST you’d think would want to help. Luckily it gets better. Luna’s role here was excellent, and while Sweetie Belle obviously can’t cause the kind of destruction Luna can due to not being anywhere near as powerful, the message is still very clear. Let your jealousy cloud your judgement, and you’ll ruin your life, and likely that of those around you. Although I do question how she knew the true events of the Birthday Party, unless she raided Rarity’s memories, possibly without consent, beforehand. I get her being able to delve into memories, but she’s not omniscient. While SB’s nightmare was over the top, it was exactly that, a nightmare, and from a little kid no less, as kids are prone to exaggerating things. While I appreciate the effort and the intended message, some foreshadowing and proper buildup would have done wonders, so despite the respectable toil here, this bell doesn’t ring very loudly, and I think this just barely scrapes a Good rating.

Leap of Faith: I wasn’t looking forward to this one, since it features the return of already introduced villains, which thus far have only resulted in unsatisfactory “redemption” episodes. However, this one was good. The Apple Family, as always, has great chemistry with one another, and just like in their debut episode, Flim and Flam are entertaining and memorable villains. I found it odd they kept using the same shill, but since they were doing that for a different crowd, I guess I can excuse that. The moral of this one was really good, too, because the truth CAN hurt, and it’s tempting to lie just because it’s easier, but the lie can hurt just as bad, if not worse. I like the fact that Applejack was put in a position to question her own conviction, because sometimes it’s necessary to rethink your position to be sure you have the right of it. I was also impressed with the way Flim and Flam were able to manipulate Applejack into distrusting her own Element, something that hasn’t been done since Discord, who was the greatest villain in the show, in my opinion. Some people were disappointed that the brothers didn’t gain redemption, which disgusts me. Some people will claim that it is “unrealistic” that no villain redeems themselves. Except not, having EVERY villain redeem themselves is unrealistic, because in real life, bad people very often do not change, not to mention we already have two redemption episodes, which really is more than enough. Besides, look at the redemption episodes in question: “Magic Duel” and “Keep Calm and Flutter On”. Quite frankly, Friendship is Magic does not have a great track record with redemption episodes. Plus, at the end Applejack says some ponies don’t understand the importance of honesty, which is true, so keeping the brothers as villains was actually realistic. You know, the importance of accepting the truth, even if it’s hard, is something this fandom has needed to learn for a long time. This fandom would rather lie to themselves about any number of issues to suit their own agenda, than face the truth and do something about it. They’d rather see Trixie as a misunderstood victim of society, rather than accepting her as a villain and either keeping it that way, for finding a way to redeem her believably, which has caused a rift in the fandom. Likewise, Luna fans would rather blame Celestia for Luna’s downfall rather than accept that Luna made a bad decision due to her emotional state. For all that people claim to want things to not to be so black and white, they sure do love to simplify things. They’d rather have Celestia as an evil monster and Luna a saint with no wrongdoing, a pretty black and white view, than acknowledge Luna as a fallible but still good hearted and therefore more complex character. I also like how even though the Apples didn’t like have the brothers back in town, they didn’t actually try to confront them until they had a REASON to think they were doing something wrong. In closing, the Apples were great, Flim and Flam were great, and the moral was great. Definitely a Good episode.

Testing Testing 1, 2, 3: This one got off to a rough start, and then smoothed itself out toward the end, but wow, what a start. Rainbow is our focus character, so we’re supposed to sympathize with and root for her, but she was just a little too unlikable in the first half. I get that she doesn’t learn the way Twilight does, and having a shorter attention span she’d get bored, but she took it too far into outright being a jerk. Also, why the heck did Owlowiscious and Spike get in on it? That seemed pointless and mean of them. Then we have Pinkie rapping. I…get that Pinkie is very random, and this does seem like the sort of thing she’d do, but that’s why Pinkie can be hard to write for, as she has to walk that fine line between being funny and being annoying, and while some people may like it, those who find it annoying also have a valid point, making this hard to defend even if I didn’t dislike it myself. Not to mention one thing that works really well in this show is that it’s a fantasy realm with little reliance on technology, allowing it to avoid feeling dated. The rap sequence was a little too modern, and felt just a tad too over the top, even for Pinkie. Things got better toward the end, with everyone uniting to help one of their own, but by that point the damage had been done. I love the moral here, it’s probably one of the best morals on the show, and I like that more than one character had to learn a lesson, as it added depth. We got to see TWO characters grow this time around. Unfortunately, as good as the moral was, it was held back by how awkward the writing was, with Twilight being more aggressive than is characteristic of her, her lovable nerdiness forced as opposed to coming off naturally, and Rainbow being a jerk, especially when she blamed her (perceived) upcoming failure on Twilight who was trying to help her. I could have forgiven that had Rainbow taken it back and admitted she was lashing out after Twilight protested, but Rainbow suffers no real comeuppance for her attitude, making it hard to want to see her succeed. A great moral, but one that would have benefitted from a less awkward beginning. A Meh episode that could have been really solid.

Trade Ya!: What did I watch? No seriously, what did I watch? This one was weird, and not in a good way. First off, we’re FINALLY getting to see focus on Twilight’s new title as a princess, but it didn’t go anywhere. Ponies want her autograph because she’s royalty, but we don’t really get much focus on this, and there’s no real conclusion, and her job of solving disputes only comes in at the end of what was basically a Shaggy Dog Story for Rainbow Dash. Twilight was likable, as she usually is, but her role was completely wasted. Pinkie spent the entire episode being completely unhelpful, while claiming she’s helping, and honestly is kind of taking unfair advantage of Twilight’s status and encouraging others to look more at Twilight’s title than at who she is. Applejack and Rarity? Both felt flanderized with Applejack’s practical nature not actually feeling practical, and Rarity’s obsession with beauty reaching ridiculous lengths. This was all so that they could do an overly-long gag that “Family Guy” would think dragged out too long. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy? Work their flanks off the entire episode without a satisfactory conclusion, hence my earlier Shaggy Dog Story comment. Spike? We get a tease with him and his comic book, but this doesn’t go anywhere and it gets no conclusion, so they might as well have not even bothered. Both Twilight and Spike were introduced in a manner that makes the audience think we’ll get some insight to their character, but Spike was phased out completely, and Twilight’s was just to end Rainbow’s story on an unsatisfying note. The focus on the friendships between Rarity and Applejack, and Rainbow and Fluttershy were more forced and overly saccharine than one could expect from this series, more in line with what we could expect from previous, less well-written, generation. With the one-note characters and overly saccharine behavior, this episode feels like it was written by an inexperienced writer who has only the vaguest idea of what this show is about. Plus there was a callback to “Spike at your Service”. It takes more than just mentioning a previous episode to do a proper callback, and really, why would you do a callback to an episode the fandom would rather NOT be reminded of? I am surprised by the hate Rainbow gets here. I’m normally the first to criticize her for her bad behavior, but even I can see she didn’t really sell Fluttershy, after all, she was too dazed to pay attention to what the other was saying, likely wasn’t expecting a PONY to be part of a trade, and didn’t realize what had happened until she saw Fluttershy walking away. Plus, Fluttershy herself agreed to the trade, she wasn’t exactly dragged off kicking and screaming while Rainbow looked on coldly. There was no action, no humor, very little emotion that was overdone, no depth, and plot points that went nowhere. A Good episode does not need ALL of these things, but ANY of these things being present contributes toward making an actually good episode. I’m going to have to call this a Bad episode.

Inspiration Manifestation: Hmph, I wish I could say it was nice seeing focus on Spike and Rarity’s relationship, but it feels like it didn’t go anywhere, and there was no advancement. Not to mention the lack of development in four seasons is pretty much the main reason I have no interest in said relationship anyway. Spike was hard to sympathize with here, ignoring the repeated warnings from Owlowiscious and even from the castle not to mess with the dark magic, and living with the expert on magic you’d think he’d know better that to mess with unfamiliar magic anyway. Plus his lack of actual concern for the trouble they were causing didn’t help. While I do like that Spike was able to figure out a solution that didn’t involve breaking his promise, something “Green isn’t your Color” would have benefitted from, the vast majority of the episode is Ponyville being turned upside down with Spike continuously praising it. The moral was decent, but the execution was…bland. The lack of danger made it hard to be emotionally involved, and there was no real clear change in attitude throughout the whole thing. Then at the end, when Twilight rightfully calls out Spike on the trouble he caused, he INSULTS her while she’s visibly stressed from cleaning up his mess. No Spike, telling your friend she looks terrible isn’t being honest, it’s just RUDE. Twilight and Applejack have always balanced honesty with tact, so this is something I’d expect from Rainbow Dash. When Twilight used magic, she at least knows what she’s doing, but even she isn’t messing with magic hidden away in an ancient castle. Not a bad episode just…unproductive. To me, a very Meh episode overall.

Equestria Games: This episode was apparently an attempt to placate the fans that were mad about Spike not being recognized for saving the Crystal Empire. Me? I personally didn’t really care since I thought Crystal Empire was a bad episode, and that Spike was better off not being associated with it. This episode has roots in “Canterlot Wedding” “Crystal Empire” and “Games Ponies Play”, ALL of which were BAD episodes, which you’d think wouldn’t do this one any favors…on the other hand it doesn’t spend much time on that. It references them quick, but then gets to the plot. Considering the low quality of Spike focused episodes as of late, it’s definitely good they’re still trying to give the poor guy a GOOD day in the limelight. I found it odd that Spike froze up so easily, but I guess I can go with that. It’s also weird that he honestly thought he had pyro kinesis, it’s not funny because I know Spike isn’t that dumb, but at least that was cut short. Another problem was the reference to the much loathed “Rainbow Falls”, where Fluttershy and Bulk Biceps were Rainbow’s teammates, but once again, that was kept to a minimum. Shining Armor was in this episode, but funnily enough, he was completely pointless, as a generic though energetic announcer could have fulfilled his role. At first glance the Anthem scene was nothing but cringe comedy, humiliating a character who didn’t deserve it, making the humor subjective at best. On a second analysis, however, this may actually have been a GOOD thing. Why? Because it ties into the episodes moral, which, honestly, is possible one of the best morals this show has ever had. Don’t dwell on your failures, which is something *I* should learn sometime. . Spike’s desperation to prove himself caused his common sense to disappear, resulting in his humiliation. It was uncomfortable to watch, but sometimes a character suffers not for humor, but to help drive home the message and make a character more sympathetic. If you dwell on your failures, it may affect your judgement, leading to situations like this. That’s…actually kind of brilliant. This is definitely one way to make an intended message last most of an episode, and there were a bunch of little things, too. One of this shows main strengths is the interaction between the characters, such as with the Crusaders and the Mane Six. We also finally see Twilight in a Princess role, with a nice additional shot of her staring longingly at her friends, showing that this IS affecting her everyday life, but also showing her interactions with the rest of the Mane Five and the Crusaders, showing the strength of their bond. On top of all this, Spike’s humiliations are made up for when he saves the day in a suitably epic fashion, gaining both vindication and redemption at the same time. The Mane Six were likable, and although some might see Twilight as being harsh to Spike, I’m prepared to compare this to the Breezies episode. She realized being gentle wasn’t working, so she switched to being firm. While there were little things that bugged me, they received minimal screen time, and were canceled out by other little things, and the focus points were good. Much like “Lesson Zero” or “Sisterhooves Social”, just because it wasn’t pleasant, doesn’t mean it wasn’t quality viewing. The writers weren’t playing games with us this time, so I think I can call this a Good episode.

Twilight’s Kingdom: This one bothered me quite a bit in the first half or so, but mostly redeemed itself at the end. When Twilight was singing about how unsure she is of her worth, Celestia says “Your destiny is unclear”, implying that Celestia herseld doesn’t know why Twilight is an Alicorn…Celestia, the one who MADE TWILIGHT AN ALICORN doesn’t know why Twilight is an Alicorn, which would have been VERY poor planning on the part of the writers. However, Celestia’s comments toward Twilight at the end imply maybe she DID know, and was keeping mum because she wanted Twilight to figure it out for herself. That’s…pretty in character, really. Celestia has always been the type to hint and suggest, rather than outright telling the answers, in order to get you to develop your mental skills. On the other hand, we have the way she handled Tirek’s escape. She knew he was in Tartarus, and she apparently didn’t bother to check to make sure none of the ancient evils got loose, and Tirek has been on the loose for QUITE some time with her being none the wiser. Plus, once she FINALLY realizes he’s escaped, she sends someone else to find him, rather than tracking him down herself, maybe with Luna’s help. Assuming he’s nowhere near strong enough to steal Alicorn magic, the simplest solution would have been to track him down and stomp him before he becomes a threat. To top it off, she sends DISCORD , the recently “reformed” villain who has YET to prove he’s trustworthy. Let’s see, send multi-time national heroes, or the unpredictable sadist…and then she’s SURPRISED when he betrays them. Yeah, this episode was NOT Celestia at her most intelligent. That seems to be a thing for Meghan McCarthy episodes. First it was “Canterlot Wedding”, then it was “Crystal Empire”, and now this one. Why is Celestia never allowed to be COMPETENT in a McCarthy episode? When the Mane Six were discussing their elements, and Rarity referred to Twilight’s element as Arcane Spellcasting, I got scared, but to my relief, it turns out the writers did NOT make the same mistake as many fans have, and did NOT forget that FRIENDSHIP is MAGIC. Tirek himself was…I regret to say a rather boring villain. I know they used him as a nod to the 80’s cartoon where he was one of the most, if not THE most, memorable in a line of pretty memorable villains. Catrina, Crunch, Squirk, Lavan, and the Smooze. Much like with Daring Do and Derpy in “Rainbow Falls”, fan service is no substitute for good writing. Tirek…doesn’t really have any variety, and every scene is just him stealing magic. Nightmare Moon had limited screen time, but she was memorably over the top, Discord had lots of screen time, but they kept coming up with creative things for him to do, and even Sombra, bland as he was, had intensity. Tirek is…pretty generic, especially the voice. In the 80’s cartoon, his voice could make a good guy turn evil in hopes of having a voice even half that cool, but in FiM his voice is basically that of a generic brute. Also, for a nod to the 80’s cartoon, they sure did things differently. For those who don’t know, Scorpan was NOT Tirek’s brother, he was a prince that he transformed and enslaved, plus, Tirek was KILLED, not imprisoned. I also find it odd that he personally knows Discord, who was locked away a thousand years ago, even though the Twilight in the 80’s cartoon is supposed to be the mother of Twilight Sparkle, and I seriously doubt Twilight Velvet is a thousand years old. Now! Maybe getting killed is what locked him in Tartarus to begin with and he was given a mortal form in order to suffer, and all this I could overlook had he been more interesting, but unfortunately, he wasn’t. I really feel like Discord didn’t have to be in this episode at all, or at least only needed that one scene where he reminds them of their elements, but I’ll admit even I found myself kind of touched by his remorse at the end. I don’t completely buy it, and the start in KCAFO was badly done, but this is actual progress. The quick recap of their elements was nice, and I do admit to liking the red herring with Twilight’s Element. Also, even I can’t deny the fight scene between Twilight and Tirek was actually pretty cool. I don’t know where this “Twilight realizes she was wrong about Discord” thing comes from, because if anything, he proved her RIGHT. Overall, Celestia was less competent than she deserved, the subplot with Discord felt like padding, but some of the possible plot holes are covered in the end, with a great fight scene and a satisfying conclusion to the Season Story Arc, plus Discord getting ACTUAL character development, I’m willing to call this a Good episode.

Top Five Best Episodes
5: Twilight Time
4: Pinkie Apple Pie
3: Leap of Faith
2: Flight to the Finish
1: It Ain’t Easy Being Breezies

Top Five Worst Episodes
5: Somepony to Watch Over Me
4: Filli Vanilli
3: Daring Don’t
2: Rainbow Falls
1: Trade Ya!

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