Thoughts on Season 3 Episodes · 5:50am Mar 29th, 2019
And now, time to look at the shortest season, which I hear is a controversial one. Heck, over on DeviantArt, when I expressed that Season 8 was my least favorite season, someone wondered why it wasn't the 3rd season instead. True, it does have some episodes I'm no fan of, but the moments I really liked stuck out to me too much for me to really hate this season (plus, it doesn't have that stupid School of Friendship).
The Crystal Empire
~ I'm having the Gak flashbacks. I distinctly remember the three Gak commercials in a row and wondering what the heck was going on.
Repetitive commercials aside, I found this premiere pretty enjoyable--though I would have liked more King Sombra. It's amazing to see just how far ahead this guy thought in order to keep his one weakness away from others, and seeing him as a looming threat gave me chills. Not to mention how he was dispatched! 
He 'sploded. :3
Of course, the way he talks about crystals keeps making me think he wants to eat them.
Too Many Pinkie Pies
~ The Pinkies are coming! The Pinkies are coming! And that one who made the G3 face still haunts my dreams to this day. 
Wild episode, am I right? Best mockery of flanderization I've ever seen... even though, sadly, I'm sure one of those clones was at the helm when it came to worst episode *Yuckity Sucks*, while the real Pinkie was hanging out with Cheese Sandwich and helping him with a party.
Okay, need to stay in Season 3 right now... so, if the Mirror Pool exists, what other enchanted bodies of water are there in Equestria? And how did they get enchanted? I know I have my ideas in my fics, but I'm kind of curious about what the canon version of the Fountain of Youth would be like.
One Bad Apple
~ Oof. An episode about bullying can be tough... and this one falls a little short. I thought the song was really catchy and fun, and it was interesting to see the conflict play out... but then they fumbled the ball right before the end zone. See, lumping every bully into the same category of having a sob story doesn't help anyone. Sure, some kids lash out against "weaker" kids because of their unfortunate circumstances, and they do need help, but there are plenty of kids who are mean just for kicks and giggles, because they weren't disciplined by their parents, or because they think they're better than you because they're richer, stronger, or whatever.
And being an episode with a "one size fits all" solution to a situation that's really complicated in real life, it was bound to offend some fans. I'm not too offended, it just left a disappointing aftertaste. At least Babs had a better showing in her next episode, before she disappeared.
Also, Pinkie, your lettuce puns... King Bumi from Avatar did it better. I still quote "Lettuce Leaf?" from time to time. 
Magic Duel
~ "You wanted Trixie to be the bad guy? Well... now she's the bad guy!"
You know, as fun as this episode was and how clever the solution at the end was... I can't help but feel a little disappointed that we don't get a followup to Trixie having worked on the rock farm. I mean, she's become a regular in later seasons, and Pinkie's sister also lives by Ponyville, and they're both friends with Starlight Glimmer, so there's a missed opportunity right there.
Sleepless in Ponyville
~ I am perfectly okay with Rainbow being Scoots' big sister figure. And Luna the dreamwalker is so cool. 
Wonderbolts Academy
~ Pinkie Pie is the only downside to this episode--her scenes were just annoying, I wanted to tell her to get a grip and give Rainbow her space.
Other than that, this episode is my favorite of Season 3, and I love how mature Rainbow is here. And even if she's a "bad girl", I do like Lightning Dust. I kind of want to write her more, especially her history with a couple of my OCs, but at least she did have a few scenes in Brotherly Bonding Time, being a grump that's stuck in a rut, and maybe I could bring her back for the finale...
Just for Sidekicks
~ Eh? This episode's just meh. At least the pets are cute (except local demon Angel Bunny).
Apple Family Reunion
~ I didn't think it was that bad. I kind of relate to Applejack here, to be honest--sometimes, I'm trying to force memories being made by recreating certain scenarios that had memorable moments, instead of just letting things happen naturally. After all, the family reunion I remember best was the one where a truck on the nearby highway caught fire and we kids just watched from atop the hill. Some of the best things happen unexpectedly, y'know.
Like baby Applejack. OH MY GOODNESS THAT MADE MY HEART EXPLODE. TWICE. 
Spike at Your Service
~ Oh, look, here's another episode that made me mad. This time, it's more out of frustration over the utter stupidity in this episode. 
Do I even need to repeat all the talking points on how Spike is suddenly incompetent, how most of the others seemed to have lost a few IQ points as well (not as bad as Spike, but something still feels off), the random Noble Dragon Code, the pathetic giant Timber Wolf climax, how contrived it is... at the very least, this episode did give us a good Applejack, which keeps it from being my most hated of the series.
It's still in fifth place, though.
Keep Calm and Flutter On
~ I always thought this episode was anticlimatic with how suddenly Discord turned (and just how dangerous Fluttershy's method of turning him was--sweetie, just tolerating his nonsense doesn't work in real life). At least Season 4 gave us a good followup on this.
Games Ponies Play
~ Why is everyone a freakin' moron here?
Magical Mystery Cure
~ Okay, I'm going to start off by saying is that I didn't mind Twilight becoming an alicorn. I figured that the series was building up to it and that she had earned it. We could debate over whether or not she actually wanted to be a princess, but whatever, it's a thing that happened and I'm perfectly okay with it.
What I'm not okay with is how this episode is structured. I could see the potential for a good story in this, but we're just thrown from plot point to plot point haphazardly, and it didn't give me time to let what was happening sink in. Pointless beginning song, and then plot happens suddenly, we suddenly see Twilight's friends struggling with the swapped marks, we suddenly have Twilight panic and declare "There's no counter-spell!" before trying anything, we pause just to watch her mope and sing a sad song, and then she suddenly knows the answer and fixes everything. I couldn't get invested because everything was happening so fast!
I suppose the musical aspect should have softened the blow... but, I just hate most of the songs in this episode. The "Morning in Ponyville" song is my most hated, because it's so superfluous and just a time waster. The one I do like is Celestia's Ballad, because she's got a beautiful voice and it does highlight why we should be proud of Twilight... though it'd have more impact if the episode was actually good. The rest I just find the tunes a little annoying for my taste.
If it was a two-parter (like everyone else says it should have been), I'd probably like it... wouldn't be anywhere on my favorites list, but decent. But as it is, it's my least favorite season finale.
So, this was a little easier than the other two, thanks to the shortened length. Unfortunately for me, it's the only half-season, and I still have some thoughts on full seasons to do, so I guess I better get a-thinking on what I think of certain episodes.
So, join me next time when we cover Season 4, which is my favorite season!
I see some unpopular opinions here.
Anyways, I love the songs in Magical Mystery Cure, and I can concur with you on Season 8.
(Non-Complete Clause, Matter of Principals, Yakity-Sax, End in Friend, you know, the crap ones. At least it had Sounds of Silence and Episode 19, which is evading my mind right now.)