Mariusioannesp's Retrospective on MLP Season 6 · 5:36am Mar 5th, 2017
Greetings my Brony brethren!
Well, this certainly took a lot longer to get out than I expected. I just needed a long break after it took me so long to write my Legend of Everfree review.
As promised, I have returned with my retrospective for Season 6 of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. As in the last time I did this after the end of Season 5, I mean to look back at Season 6 and judge it according to a number of categories I have devised, some of them new. This was the first season I started paying attention to writers so I have categories for best/least good returning writers and new writers. There’s also a category for best/least good Starlight Glimmer episodes because of her inordinate presence this season. I have also included some honorable mentions. I have also brought back the categories of overrated/underrated episodes and songs. I have made these determinations based on some very helpful polls from our friendly friends at Equestria Daily. I will also give my thoughts concerning the experience of reviewing another season of MLP. And once more, since I still don’t think there are any aspects of MLP that are truly awful, I won’t be noting those aspects I felt were the worst. Instead, I will refer to them as the “least good” because they were okay, but just not great.
So, let us begin once more.
Best Episode Overall: “Stranger Than Fan Fiction”
What can I say? I’m a sucker for Daring Do episodes. Patton Oswalt as Quibble Pants also does a good job portraying in an empathetic manner one of the more annoying types of fans that tends to pop up in fandoms. It also are really good light-hearted send-up with tongue firmly in cheek of our twisted fandom in particular and fandom in general.
Best Cutie Map Episode: “Viva Las Pegasus”
“Viva Las Pegasus” finally introduces us to Las Pegasus, a location first mentioned way back in Season 2. In that regard, it helps further fill out the wide, wide realm of Equestria. It also deftly avoids MLP’s disconcerting tendency to reform its villains by allowing The Flim-Flam Brothers to escape the reformation chopping block. It also focuses on the unique pairing of Applejack and Fluttershy, something that had never really been seen before then.
Best Starlight Glimmer Episode: “No Second Prances”
The best thing about this Starlight Glimmer episode is the return of the Great and Powerful Trixie! After being absent since Season 3, Trixie finally makes her triumphant return. Establishing the friendship between Starlight and Trixie is both quite appropriate and has its benefits. It means that if we’re going to see more of Starlight, then there’s a possibility that there’ll be more Trixie as well. And of course, this episode is responsible for starting the whole StarTrix ship, the ship no one ever expected.
Least Good Starlight Glimmer Episode: “The Crystalling”
Now, Starlight Glimmer isn’t the reason I’ve ranked “The Crystalling” the least good of her episodes. While Starlight’s character development was one of the highlights of the episode, this episode suffers from the same lack of proper drama that has plagued most of MLP’s season premieres since Season 3. They just don’t make premieres like they used to. They used to be examples of the best of what MLP had to offer. Sadly, “The Crystalling” was the latest example of how much premieres have fallen.
Least Good Cutie Map Episode: “Spice Up Your Life”
By all means, this does not mean “Spice Up Your Life” is not a good episode. It has so much going for it. It introduced us to some interesting new side characters, the concept of Indian ponies, and had a cool Bollywood-inspired song “It’s Gonna Work”. It also featured the pairing of Pinkie Pie and Rarity, which until this season was pretty non-existent. However, when you’re ranking things between best to not best, something has to fall under the not best category. This episode falls in this category because though it had few flaws, it had them. Those are an uninteresting antagonist in Zesty Gourmand and the use of Canterlot as the setting, a location we have seen so many times already. But despite being the least good of this season’s Cutie Map episodes, it was still really good.
Least Good Episode(s) Overall: “Applejack’s “Day” Off”, “The Cart Before the Ponies”, “28 Pranks Later”, “P.P.O.V. (Pony Point of View)”
I’ve been reviewing MLP since Season 4. Season 6 has the dubious distinction of having the most Least Good episodes of any season I’ve reviewed. Season 6 features a grand total of four least good episodes. Those are “Applejack’s “Day” Off”, “The Cart Before the Ponies”, “28 Pranks Later”, and “P.P.O.V. (Pony Point of View)”. It’s probably not surprising that three of these four episodes were written by new writers, and one by a writer who hasn’t written an episode since Season 4. Most of these episodes have similar problems such as bad characterization and rehashing the plot of an older episode. Frankly, it was very disappointing seeing this many episodes of this low quality in a season.
Most Overrated Episode: “To Where and Back Again”
According to an Equestria Daily Poll “To Where and Back Again” was the best episode of the season. With that I must disagree. As you all may know if you read my review of said episode, I thought it had all the elements of a great finale, but it failed to realize its full potential.
Most Underrated Episode(s): “On Your Marks”
I made this choice based on an Equestria Daily poll judging episodes from the first half of the season and an helpful user’s contribution to Equestria Daily’s Pony Community Soapbox. In the aforementioned poll, this episode was second-to-last right ahead of “Applejack’s “Day” Off”, coincidentally one of my choices for least good episode of the season. Personally, I thought this episode was much better than that. I found it a fascinating exploration of how Apple Bloom has tied her identity to the Cutie Mark Crusaders and her effort to explore doing things on her own.
Best Song: “A Changeling Can Change” from “The Times They Are A Changeling”
I mean this was just a great song. Also, it’s the first time Spike gets his own song. It’s got that going for it as well. And beyond even my own understanding, it managed to convince the Crystal Empire to give Thorax a chance.
Honorable Mention: “Say Goodbye to the Holiday” from “A Hearth’s Warming Tail”
MLP hasn’t had a good villain song since the Season 2 finale. Equestria Girls seems to get them for some reason. Well, this is the closest we’ve gotten to a real villain song in all that time, and it’s really good. It’s just not the utter best.
Least Good Song: “Derby Racers” from “The Cart Before the Ponies”
You know that song called “The Song that Never Ends”? Well, this is the song that just exists. Nothing to really write home about.
Most Overrated Song: “Luna’s Future” from “A Hearth’s Warming Tail”
This song won Equestria Daily’s poll judging the best song of the season. At the time “A Hearth’s Warming Tail” aired I myself admitted this was the best song of the season. Of course, that was long before “The Times They Are A Changeling” and “A Changeling Can Change”.
Most Underrated Song: “A Changeling Can Change” from “The Times They Are A Changeling”
In the aforementioned poll above, this song came in fifth, the last among the poll’s top contenders. As you are all aware by now, I thought this was the season’s best song. So, I thought it was better than that.
Best Addition to the Canon: Everything from “Gauntlet of Fire” and Changeling stuff from “The Times They Are A Changeling” and “To Where And Back Again”
This season we finally got a look at some of the environs beyond Equestria that have long tickled the imagination of Bronies. We got a look at the Dragon Lands and the mechanics of Dragon society in “Gauntlet of Fire”. “Gauntlet of Fire” also featured some fascinating creatures among the inhabitants of the Dragon Lands. We also got a short look at the inside of a Changeling hive in “The Times They Are A Changeling” and much more in depth look in “To Where And Back Again”.
Best New Character(s): Thorax from “The Times They Are a Changeling” and “To Where and Back Again” and Gabby from “The Fault in Our Cutie Marks”
This one has to be a twofer because this season had a lot of great new characters in it. Thorax and Gabby are actually rather similar in that they are individuals that are decidedly friendlier than others of their species. Thorax however has the distinction of radically changing the nature of Changelings forever.
Honorable Mention: Quibble Pants in “Stranger Than Fan Fiction”
Like I’ve already said, Quibble Pants is an excellent portrayal of one the most annoying kinds of fans one is likely to encounter in any fandom. I also love that he’s portrayed by Patton Oswalt, who’s a geek in real life. So he what all this fan stuff is all about. (Interestingly enough, Patton Oswalt also reprised his roles as Billy and Sam Koenig on Agents of SHIELD a few weeks ago for the first time since its second season.) Quibble Pants also successfully grounds his episode of MLP as he points out the logical inconsistencies of his own reality. That kind of thing may not rub most people the right way, but I like it.
Least Good New Character: Buried Lede in “The Saddle Row Review”
Buried Lede isn’t so much a character as much as the audience’s perspective given a name. He fails as a character because he barely is a character.
Best Returning Character: The Great and Powerful Trixie in “No Second Prances” and “To Where and Back Again”
It was just great to see The Great and Powerful Trixie back for the first time since Season 3. This season was also the first season where Trixie appeared in more than one episode. We also saw a bit of development from Trixie as well. She seemed less full of herself this time around. Her relationship with Starlight Glimmer is also a great development. Given similar backgrounds in villainy, they really do understand each other. They’re practically made for each other. They just have to be in love with each other!
Honorable Mention: Snails in “Buckball Season”
We haven’t seen much of Snails since Season 3 either. Back then, he was established as not the brightest knife on the Christmas Tree. However in “Buckball Season”, it is revealed he is quite savvy when it comes to catching balls in buckets. Who’d have thunk it?
Least Good Returning Character: The Wonderbolts in “Newbie Dash”
Ever since Season 3, there seems to be a concerted effort to make the Wonderbolts look as bad as possible. This time around they saddle the newly christened Wonderbolt Rainbow Dash with an unfortunate nickname that is coincidentally attached to some childhood trauma. I can’t help feel that is kind of insensitive on their part.
Best New Villain: Gladmane from “Viva Las Pegasus”
As I said in my review of “Viva Las Pegasus”, Gladmane is yet another example of what I’ve termed a Real Life Villain. In particular, Gladmane’s brand of manipulative and divisive false friendship is something some may have the misfortune of having to encounter. I’ve always been fond of villains who are good at manipulating others. And unlike some of MLP’s other magical malefactors, he does it without magic. That’s pretty impressive, but it does go to show you how banal this kind of evil can be.
Least Good New Villain/Antagonist: Zesty Gourmand from “Spice Up Your Life”
Zesty Gourmand is a food critic who somehow has a monopoly on food criticism in Canterlot. Despite how bad it kind of is to clamp down on creative culinary expression, it’s still pretty low stakes. Ergo, Zesty is not much of an antagonist.
Best Returning Villain: Queen Chrysalis in “To Where and Back Again”
Queen Chrysalis has always ranked high on the roster of MLP’s greatest villains. (With so few of them left, she currently ranks as second greatest villain right below Tirek.) With her appearance in “To Where and Back Again”, Chrysalis has now become the closest thing MLP has to a recurring villain. And very likely, she will be back for another villainous outing as she refused Starlight’s overture of friendship and narrowly escaped the reformation chopping block.
Honorable Mention: The Flim Flam Brothers in “Viva Las Pegasus”
The Flim Flam Brothers don’t rank too high on the roster of MLP’s greatest villains, but it’s always fun to see them. They’ve also managed to reach their third appearance without falling to the reformation chopping block. They’ve got that going for them now.
Least Good Returning Villain: Garble in “Gauntlet of Fire”
Prior to “Gauntlet of Fire”, Garble only appeared once way back in Season 2’s “Dragon Quest”. Back then, he didn't leave much of an impact. Unsurprisingly, he doesn't leave much of an impact in his return appearance in “Gauntlet of Fire”.
Biggest Game Changer: Flurry Heart’s birth in “The Crystalling” and the Changeling reform in “To Where and Back Again”
Flurry Heart’s birth in “The Crystalling” represents the first time an alicorn was born in Equestria. It also the first time a close relation of the Mane 6 has had a baby. The reform of the Changelings in “To Where and Back” again was also a major change on the show. We now have a whole new race of these reformed Changelings. Plus, with Chrysalis still at large, it means we could be seeing regular Changelings again as well.
Best New Writer: Mike Vogel
Mike Vogel was originally Hasbro’s Vice President of Development. While in the position, he became very familiar with the Brony fandom. He debuted as a writer this past season, and how much he understood the wants and desires of the fandom showed through in each of his episodes. I still like to think that he was the reason Chrysalis escaped the reformation chopping block in “To Where and Back Again”.
Least Good New Writer: Wil and Michael P. Fox aka the Fox Brothers
Though they had a seemingly strong start with “The Gift of the Maud Pie”, The Fox Brothers, as I call them, floundered completely with “Applejack’s “Day” Off” and “P.P.O.V. (Pony Point of View)”. These episodes floundered mostly for a number of reasons. They seemed to lack the best grasp of characters, like Applejack in “Applejack’s “Day” Off”. They also failed realize the full potential of the plot with “P.P.O.V. (Pony Point of View)”.
Best Returning Writer: Nick Confalone
Nick Confalone’s twisted brand of humor is something that appeals to me. That’s why he’s so good at writing Pinkie Pie episodes like last season’s “Party Pooped” and “Hearthbreakers”. This season, he expanded to other characters in the episodes “No Second Prances”, “The Saddle Row Review”, and “Dungeons and Discords”. In every case though, that humor and the dark edge it has at times still shines forth.
Least Good Returning Writer: Ed Valentine
Before his episodes this season, we hadn’t seen Ed Valentine write an episode since Season 4. For me, his episodes back then were hit and miss. Literally. I loved “Three’s A Crowd”, but I didn’t like “Flight to the Finish”. That was also the case this season. I loved “The Fault in Our Cutie Marks”, but I did not like “The Cart Before the Ponies”.
Final Thoughts
I am of the opinion that Season 6 is MLP’s weakest season since Season 3. This season continued a bit of a downward slide that began with the finale of Season 5. One factor for this might be the many new writers. Some of the new writers did a good job, but some of them also floundered when it came to characterization or redoing plots from previous episodes. From what I understand, some of them will not be returning next season. Another factor in this is Josh Haber, who was the lead story editor for Season 6. Now in the past, Josh Haber specialized in slice of life episodes, sometimes with a dark bent. Previous story editors, like Meghan McCarthy and M.A. Larson, had a certain skill when it came to writing more epic episodes. They had a flair for the dramatic. It’s possible Mr. Haber’s lack of flair for the dramatic has ended up weakening the season overall. Then, there’s the controversy of Starlight Glimmer. Personally, I don’t hate her. I’m more ambivalent towards her. However, her fairly sudden inclusion alongside the Mane 6 is rather jarring and in my opinion unexpected. Plus, the focus on her in the season finale ended up pretty much pushing the Mane 6 to the sidelines. Overall, Season 6 left me feeling that it was sorely lacking in the quality of the last two seasons.
Some of you may have noticed that sometimes it took me a week to write my reviews. It took me more than that to write the review of the season finale and close to two months to write my Legend of Everfree review. A lot of that has to do with me getting constantly interrupted a lot during the Saturday I try to write my review, being constantly interrupted the days afterwards, and a growing unwillingness to stay up to wee hours of the morning to finish writing these things. I also admit that I may have become too focused on finding the images to use in my reviews. I’ve even gotten to the point where I’ll make my own gifs if I can’t find the right one. I think next season, I’m going to focus on writing my reviews before I go out to find and make the images I will use in it. Hopefully, I’ll also be able to schedule my time better now that I’m starting a part time job soon.
Next up when it comes to my blogs, I’ll be writing my predictions for the upcoming Season 7 of MLP as well as the Equestria Girl specials! I’ll also be writing a second blog regarding my predictions for the MLP movie based on all the information we received a few weeks ago.
What did y’all think of Season 6?
God bless you all. God bless America. And God bless Equestria.
yep.
Well, let's hope for better next season.
I really liked Season 6 overall. You and I disagree on a few areas (such as the finale) but that's alright and is to be expected. I'm personally very happy with Starlight's introduction and I think it led to a very refreshing finale that gave someone else a shot at saving Equestria aside from Twilight and the girls. I would have liked to have seen her appear more though as there was an odd running theme of her only appearing in episodes that starred her. Hopefully she'll have a better integration in Seasons 7 and 8.
MLP is still a show that has a lot of potential. At the same time, I don't want it to overstay its welcome and become the next Fairly Odd Parents or Family Guy. Doctor Who has managed to last so long because it pretty much reboots itself every few years with new Doctors and companions. MLP doesn't have that luxury. It can introduce new aspects like further worldbuilding and new supporting characters. But it doesn't have the reboot ability that Doctor Who does and eventually things might start to become stale. I'm surprised we're even getting an eighth season. Season 7 and the movie would have been a fitting time to end things. But, who knows? Maybe the crew has some interesting ideas in store for the future. As of now, I'm still interested in seeing where the show goes. No recent season has had enough meh episodes for me to starting doubting the quality of the series as a whole yet.
4444219 I admit that sometimes I worry I'm turning into one of those more nitpicky fans that gets snippy with the show staff. I mean, where did my optimism go? But either way, I agree with hoping that MLP doesn't diminish in quality as drastically as something like The Fairly Odd Parents or Family Guy or SpongeBob SquarePants.