Well, here we are at last; the shortest season of My Little Pony. But will it prove quality over quantity and become an unsung hero of the series? That's what I'm about to find out!
The Crystal Empire
Written by Meghan McCarthy
I'm going to say it outright; just because a villain doesn't get as much screentime as the heroes, that doesn't mean the story is harmed in any way.
With the small screentime King Sombra gets, it's far more effective than what one would give credit for. Does he have a backstory? No, but I'm glad the episode doesn't give him one. Heck, Discord didn't have one either in The Return of Harmony, and he's fairly well-beloved. Nor did Sunset Shimmer, for that matter (if you exclude the comics as canon, that is). But I digress.
You can already tell that Sombra is a force to be reckoned with; he's hellbent on driving fear and hatred into anypony unlucky enough to cross his path, and was even clever enough to hide the Crystal Heart from anypony (at least until the Mane Six and Spike came into the picture) wanting to find it. And he came very close to winning as well!
If that's not an effective villain, then I don't know what is. I just hope The Beginning of the End can do him justice...
Onto the story, and the stakes felt really high there; the Mane Six, Shining Armor and Cadance did everything they could to keep Sombra out of the Empire, as well as lift the Crystal Ponies' spirits during such a crisis. Heck, Cadance gave up every last bit of her magic just to create a temporary shield! Oh, and the faire was so much fun and almost made me want to go to one myself.
That's not to say the episode is without its faults; one being Rainbow Dash coming off as borderline manipulative to Fluttershy about the joust. I know it's a minor problem, but that doesn't look good for someone who's supposed to be the Element of Loyalty.
The other problem is Twilight's failure song. It's one of the most pointless of the entire show. Did she have to sing about how she was feeling to the audience? We could already tell she was in self-doubt, so what's the point? The reprise is just as useless and makes the end of the episode feel a bit anti-climactic. Luckily, the episode salvages itself with the Crystal Empire song.
This episode is also one of the first to finally give Spike justice; whether it be staying with Twilight the whole time and saving her from her worst fears to grabbing hold of the Crystal Heart (with Cadance's help) before Sombra could, it's one of his most overlooked performances. And that's a crying shame, really. Though it probably doesn't help given that some of his roles later this season were contentious among fans, but that's an issue for later.
So yeah, it's an overall an underappreciated premiere episode, and the foreshadowing to the finale is really good, making you wonder what will come next for Twilight. Like I said about Sombra, my only request in regards to season nine's premiere is this: Don't screw him up!
With the small screentime King Sombra gets, it's far more effective than what one would give credit for. Does he have a backstory? No, but I'm glad the episode doesn't give him one. Heck, Discord didn't have one either in The Return of Harmony, and he's fairly well-beloved. Nor did Sunset Shimmer, for that matter (if you exclude the comics as canon, that is). But I digress.
You can already tell that Sombra is a force to be reckoned with; he's hellbent on driving fear and hatred into anypony unlucky enough to cross his path, and was even clever enough to hide the Crystal Heart from anypony (at least until the Mane Six and Spike came into the picture) wanting to find it. And he came very close to winning as well!
If that's not an effective villain, then I don't know what is. I just hope The Beginning of the End can do him justice...
Onto the story, and the stakes felt really high there; the Mane Six, Shining Armor and Cadance did everything they could to keep Sombra out of the Empire, as well as lift the Crystal Ponies' spirits during such a crisis. Heck, Cadance gave up every last bit of her magic just to create a temporary shield! Oh, and the faire was so much fun and almost made me want to go to one myself.
That's not to say the episode is without its faults; one being Rainbow Dash coming off as borderline manipulative to Fluttershy about the joust. I know it's a minor problem, but that doesn't look good for someone who's supposed to be the Element of Loyalty.
The other problem is Twilight's failure song. It's one of the most pointless of the entire show. Did she have to sing about how she was feeling to the audience? We could already tell she was in self-doubt, so what's the point? The reprise is just as useless and makes the end of the episode feel a bit anti-climactic. Luckily, the episode salvages itself with the Crystal Empire song.
This episode is also one of the first to finally give Spike justice; whether it be staying with Twilight the whole time and saving her from her worst fears to grabbing hold of the Crystal Heart (with Cadance's help) before Sombra could, it's one of his most overlooked performances. And that's a crying shame, really. Though it probably doesn't help given that some of his roles later this season were contentious among fans, but that's an issue for later.
So yeah, it's an overall an underappreciated premiere episode, and the foreshadowing to the finale is really good, making you wonder what will come next for Twilight. Like I said about Sombra, my only request in regards to season nine's premiere is this: Don't screw him up!
Rating: Excellent (9/10)
Too Many Pinkie Pies
Written by Dave Polsky
For a rather interesting start that he had back in season one, I think Dave Polsky is a good writer. After some contentious implications in his previous efforts, he started to get the hang of it, starting with this one.
The conflict Pinkie goes through in trying to spend time with all of her friends is ridiculous, yet hilarious at the same time. She tries spending time with everypony at once, but it all goes horribly wrong on her when her clones act even more bizarre than what's normal for her. Not even Pinkie Prime (regular Pinkie, for the record) can handle too much of herself!
The lesson she learned at the end was great; don't do everything all at once, or it'll lead to trouble. Though isn't is kind of odd that Twilight and Spike (and later, Rainbow Dash) couldn't tell right off the bat that the one Pinkie not jumping around repeating "fun" was the true Pinkie? It's the biggest anomaly in an otherwise fantastic episode.
The conflict Pinkie goes through in trying to spend time with all of her friends is ridiculous, yet hilarious at the same time. She tries spending time with everypony at once, but it all goes horribly wrong on her when her clones act even more bizarre than what's normal for her. Not even Pinkie Prime (regular Pinkie, for the record) can handle too much of herself!
The lesson she learned at the end was great; don't do everything all at once, or it'll lead to trouble. Though isn't is kind of odd that Twilight and Spike (and later, Rainbow Dash) couldn't tell right off the bat that the one Pinkie not jumping around repeating "fun" was the true Pinkie? It's the biggest anomaly in an otherwise fantastic episode.
Rating: Excellent (10/10)
One Bad Apple
Written by Cindy Morrow
Episodes that tackle bullying are essentially a two-edged sword in children's television. If you get it right, you've got a candidate for best episode of your series. If you screw up, you get the likes of Apology Impossible.
So how does One Bad Apple handle it? Well, it started off well enough with the Crusaders wanting to make a good first impression with Babs Seed. However, when Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon enter the scene, it goes downhill rather fast, save for the song, undoubtedly the best part of an otherwise flawed episode.
Then after setting up a trap for Babs, the Crusaders learn from Applejack that she was being bullied back in Manehattan for not having a cutie mark. Two things:
And that's before we mention that the morality of the episode is confusing. At least as far as the Crusaders go. Is their revenge against Babs justified, or were they just as bad as she was, maybe worse? The episode initially seems to point towards the former, but then the ending seems to lean towards the latter. It's just a mess all around.
I wouldn't say it's one of the show's worst ever episodes, but it is the worst so far out of season three, largely down to the confusing morality at the end. It's also sad that Babs has never been given a proper chance to redeem herself after this season, especially if she doesn't turn up in season nine.
So how does One Bad Apple handle it? Well, it started off well enough with the Crusaders wanting to make a good first impression with Babs Seed. However, when Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon enter the scene, it goes downhill rather fast, save for the song, undoubtedly the best part of an otherwise flawed episode.
Then after setting up a trap for Babs, the Crusaders learn from Applejack that she was being bullied back in Manehattan for not having a cutie mark. Two things:
- Why didn't Applejack mention it outright? The Crusaders could've avoided the whole mess they landed themselves (and Babs, to an extent) in! It almost makes Applejack look irresponsible.
- (not really related to the message, but...) How did none of the Ponyville Apples notice the wreckage of the pumpkin float? Surely Granny Smith, since she's seen at the acres most often, could've been the first to notice and then told Applejack or Big Mac about it?
And that's before we mention that the morality of the episode is confusing. At least as far as the Crusaders go. Is their revenge against Babs justified, or were they just as bad as she was, maybe worse? The episode initially seems to point towards the former, but then the ending seems to lean towards the latter. It's just a mess all around.
I wouldn't say it's one of the show's worst ever episodes, but it is the worst so far out of season three, largely down to the confusing morality at the end. It's also sad that Babs has never been given a proper chance to redeem herself after this season, especially if she doesn't turn up in season nine.
Rating: Bad (1/10)
Magic Duel
Written by M. A. Larson
Fortunately, this episode manages to bring the season back on track. And Larson's credibility, come to think of it.
As I've said when reviewing Secret of My Excess, give him a simple idea, and he'll do it justice. Like said episode, it's more character-driven than plot-driven; Fluttershy smuggling herself outside to alert Twilight about the Alicorn Amulet, Zecora's mentor role to Twilight. But whether or not you feel Snips and Snails' mistreatment was deserved, they were responsible for Trixie's reputation falling to pieces. But even if she humbled herself (sort of) at the end, why do her future appearances backpedal her character development by making her arrogant again? It just makes this episode feel almost meaningless in the long run.
As I've said when reviewing Secret of My Excess, give him a simple idea, and he'll do it justice. Like said episode, it's more character-driven than plot-driven; Fluttershy smuggling herself outside to alert Twilight about the Alicorn Amulet, Zecora's mentor role to Twilight. But whether or not you feel Snips and Snails' mistreatment was deserved, they were responsible for Trixie's reputation falling to pieces. But even if she humbled herself (sort of) at the end, why do her future appearances backpedal her character development by making her arrogant again? It just makes this episode feel almost meaningless in the long run.
Rating: Excellent (9/10)
Sleepless in Ponyville
Written by Corey Powell
Speaking of episodes having a point in the long run...!
A lot of the episodes featuring Scootaloo prior to this one showed her as something of a miniature Rainbow Dash, only a bit more grounded. Here, we get to show her more vulnerable side; Scootaloo wants to be as cool as Rainbow Dash, but is afraid of coming off as a scaredy pony in front of her. If you want further proof to see how much she admires her, just look at the establishing shot of Rainbow complimenting Scoots' moves.
Up until the ending, the episode is good, but not particularly amazing. But the moment where Dash admits that she and Scootaloo weren't so different pushes it over the edge. They become "sisters" and Scootaloo knows that it's okay to admit to being scared. It'd be easy to give all the credit to Luna for influencing her, but Scootaloo more or less admitted of her own volition.
This is one of those "pick-me-up" episodes if you need it, and it's very much the reason Hurricane Fluttershy is the best episode out of season two. It shows a more sympathetic side to Rainbow Dash, the main character is relatable and sympathetic, and the moral is fantastic. There's not much more you could ask for.
A lot of the episodes featuring Scootaloo prior to this one showed her as something of a miniature Rainbow Dash, only a bit more grounded. Here, we get to show her more vulnerable side; Scootaloo wants to be as cool as Rainbow Dash, but is afraid of coming off as a scaredy pony in front of her. If you want further proof to see how much she admires her, just look at the establishing shot of Rainbow complimenting Scoots' moves.
Up until the ending, the episode is good, but not particularly amazing. But the moment where Dash admits that she and Scootaloo weren't so different pushes it over the edge. They become "sisters" and Scootaloo knows that it's okay to admit to being scared. It'd be easy to give all the credit to Luna for influencing her, but Scootaloo more or less admitted of her own volition.
This is one of those "pick-me-up" episodes if you need it, and it's very much the reason Hurricane Fluttershy is the best episode out of season two. It shows a more sympathetic side to Rainbow Dash, the main character is relatable and sympathetic, and the moral is fantastic. There's not much more you could ask for.
Rating: Excellent (10/10)
Wonderbolts Academy
Written by Merriwether Williams
It's incredibly ironic that Merriwether Williams would write a Rainbow Dash episode very poorly in season two, and yet here, in season three, she wrote a Rainbow Dash episode that was very good.
Anyway, it looks as if season three has been mostly kind to Rainbow Dash (ignoring her "off" moment in The Crystal Empire), and this episode shows that whilst she's willing to live her dreams, she knows where to draw the line. It really shows that when Lightning Dust puts her friends in danger, Rainbow Dash quickly goes to save them from falling to their doom and calls her partner out for her recklessness.
In fact, there's two messages to take from this episode; be careful about who you befriend (something I know about all too well), and recklessness is not the way to success. Both are played out masterfully, and frankly, Lightning Dust deserved to be kicked out of the Academy. There's no way she'll ever change her attitude. (No, I'm not commenting on Spitfire's character in this episode.)
Speaking of which, Pinkie's paranoia about Rainbow Dash forgetting her and the others is more groan-worthy than funny. Of course Dash will still come home to Ponyville; it wasn't as if she was leaving forever! But of course, that's a blemish to an otherwise great episode.
Anyway, it looks as if season three has been mostly kind to Rainbow Dash (ignoring her "off" moment in The Crystal Empire), and this episode shows that whilst she's willing to live her dreams, she knows where to draw the line. It really shows that when Lightning Dust puts her friends in danger, Rainbow Dash quickly goes to save them from falling to their doom and calls her partner out for her recklessness.
In fact, there's two messages to take from this episode; be careful about who you befriend (something I know about all too well), and recklessness is not the way to success. Both are played out masterfully, and frankly, Lightning Dust deserved to be kicked out of the Academy. There's no way she'll ever change her attitude. (No, I'm not commenting on Spitfire's character in this episode.)
Speaking of which, Pinkie's paranoia about Rainbow Dash forgetting her and the others is more groan-worthy than funny. Of course Dash will still come home to Ponyville; it wasn't as if she was leaving forever! But of course, that's a blemish to an otherwise great episode.
Rating: Excellent (9/10)
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