TTTE Season 15: The Logging Loco Trilogy

Yes, you read that right. For Halloween, I'm going back to the worst era in Thomas history to review three episodes at once... THE LOGGING LOCO TRILOGY.

THE OPINIONS, THOUGHTS AND MUSINGS IN THIS BLOG POST ARE SOLELY THOSE OF ZACK WANZER, NOT THE THOMAS FANDOM IN GENERAL

Before I begin, let's knock a few similarities out of the way.

1. All come from season 15 (obviously!), known as the worst season in Thomas history, with season 13 coming in a close second.
2. All were written by Sharon Miller.
3. All feature one Logging Loco paired with a Steam Team member - "X and Y".

Now that we got them outta the way (unless I missed any), let's dig into the actual episodes!

Episode 1: Gordon and Ferdinand

Stock footage to start an episode, what a great way to begin(!) At Brendam Docks, Gordon is annoyed as he witnesses the Logging Locos biffing and bashing without crashing (Augh, the rhyming!) The Fat Controller shows up and assigns Ferdinand to be working with Gordon to take the Lion of Sodor for the Duke and Duchess of Boxford because... reasons. Alright, the Lion of Sodor is a statue being carried on a conflat - ONE conflat. Gordon could've just as easily taken it by himself (with a brakevan to boot), and Ferdinand would have no reason to join him. Also, Thomas has no reason to be in the story; he's just there because why not.

Whenever Gordon and Ferdinand pass by people, they praise the logging loco over the big express engine, the latter whom gripes about having no attention - wow, his arrogance is really over the top! I know arrogance is part of Gordon's personality, but seriously? Can you tone it back a little? And why does Ferdinand not react when Gordon insults him? Speaking of which, at least he does say more than "That's right!" all the time when they're at the fenland track... in which the statue falls off and hits the mud. It's then taken to the Steamworks where it's cleaned up and taken to the summerhouse, happy ending blah blah blah. And it doesn't stop there...

Episode 2: Toby and Bash

I'll tell you what; Toby's portrayal in this episode is a lot better than it was in the last two seasons where he was a downright wuss. Granted, he was seen as a bit idiotic when suggesting new homes for Bash, but he still seemed helpful... sort of.

It was nice that the whole episode took place around Thomas' branchline, and Arlesdale End's return was quite nice; it looks lovely in CGI. Well, for the most part, there's nothing else to talk about here as the episode's only uninteresting, so... at least it's improvement?

Episode 3: Emily and Dash

I'm going to admit it; I can never bring myself to fully hate an Emily-centric episode. With this one? Well...

We start off with Emily arriving at Misty Island and spots the Logging Locos playing Warbling Whistles - their whistles make tweeting sounds like birds. Pointless appearance by Thomas so the Fat Controller can give Emily her task. Dash is to be the star of the steam fair. Emily wants to try making her whistle tweet like a bird, and is sure it sounds easy... easier said than done. On the way, her whistle makes weird sounds (with funny faces to boot), much to the amusement of Gordon and Charlie, and the concern of Hiro (admittingly, I thought it was pretty funny). Along the way, Dash runs low on fuel and Emily carries on without him.

Okay, that's pretty much one of the big reasons the episode is panned; why would Emily be so thoughtless in leaving Dash stranded like that? Just imagine if another train came through; I'm sure Dash wouldn't make tweeting noises after that... not that anybody would be bothered.

Anyway, Dash has run low on fuel, and realizing she can't make tweeting noises alone, Emily picks up some fuel for Dash and they make it back to the fair on time; Emily laughs so hard her whistle actually makes tweeting noises! Oh, and Trevor makes an obligatory cameo and won't be seen again for another four seasons (spoiler alert!) The episode's a bit silly, but it does have funny moments, although I cannot justify ranking it higher than Toby and Bash.

On whole, it's a bad trilogy featuring the three most infamous characters of the show. Again, are they overhated? Well... maybe. It was still a nice idea for Miss Miller to try something that was successful in the classic series so... maybe it was a sign of things to come? I hope you've survived the horrors, but to end this on a cheerful note, I'll leave you with this:

Episode Ratings:

Gordon and Ferdinand: 2.5 out of 10

Toby and Bash: 4 out of 10

Emily and Dash: 3.5 out of 10

Thomas and Friends Season 15 Scorecard

1. Gordon and Ferdinand: 2.5
2. Toby and Bash: 4
3. Emily and Dash: 3.5
6. James to the Rescue: 0.5

8. Up, Up and Away!: 0
9. Henry's Happy Coal: 5.5
10. Let it Snow: 1
13. Stop That Bus!: 6

17. Wonky Whistle: -5

20. Fiery Flynn: -8

TUGS: Ghosts

As Halloween draws near, there's bound to be Ghosts in Bigg City Port!

THE OPINIONS, THOUGHTS AND MUSINGS IN THIS BLOG POST ARE SOLELY THOSE OF ZACK WANZER, AND NO ONE ELSE'S

Ghosts

Written and Directed by David Mitton

I like how the episode starts out with Captain Star explaining how the tugs back in the 1920s had to deal with fog; they didn't have the technology back then. Anyway, Big Mac is coming home late from working with Scuttlebutt Pete all day, the latter who had been telling him ghost stories all day. Big Mac soon comes across some white tugboats - the Ghost Fleet from the Great Storm of 1912! When he tells the other Star Tugs - albeit reluctantly - they laugh at him and continue to do so next morning.

However, come nightfall, karma bites back. Warrior leads some shrimpers home, but he swerves violently to avoid hitting a mudbank which the shrimpers hit. After that, Warrior encounters the Ghost Fleet, much to his shock. O.J. also returns home from escorting two trampers out to sea and encounters the Ghost Fleet not too long after bumping into Scuttlebutt Pete. Top Hat gets nervous when a train startles him, and even more so when he spots the Ghost Fleet. (Ya see where this is going?) Ten Cents and Sunshine, while taking fuel for Lillie Lightship, come across the Ghost Fleet, and witness an old galleon rising from the water, causing the two switchers to run off in terror.

There is one scene that very much had little to do with the rest of the episode (this is between Warrior's scene and O.J.'s) - Izzy Gomez tries to sneak into port but Zorran catches him out, and later comes across the Ghost Fleet and is spooked. It doesn't add anything to the plot, and it feels like it's just there and never brought up again.

The following morning, Top Hat is awoken by Grampus spitting water into his face, and the submarine points out that Top Hat isn't too far from the Star Dock - a mere 500 yards! He frantically begins telling everyone his encounter with the ghosts when Hercules shows up; he explains that the tugboats were actually the White Fleet, and they often sail with their engines off to listen for cracking ice. Earlier that night, they encountered the galleon Ten Cents and Sunshine did and it's taken away by Burke and Blair. The Star Tugs are relieved, if not embarrassed, but never forget the night they nearly went crazy.

This demonstrates how fog can sometimes mess with your thoughts, and it seemed to do it a lot better than Flatbeds of Fear did. The one scene that felt out of place was Zorran and Izzy's; no one else brings them up and it feels like they were just there because why not. Also, what caused Neptune's face to appear? Still, it was a good bit of animation.

Rating: 9 out of 10

TUGS Episode Scorecard

1. Sunshine: 9
2. Pirate: 10
3. Trapped: 10
5. Quarantine: 9
6. High Winds: 9.5
7. Ghosts: 9
10. High Tide: 9.5
11. Munitions: 10
12. Regatta: 9.5

Sodor's Spooky Capers

Originally, I was going to do them as five individual reviews, but due to time constraints, I've decided to put them all into one review. Plus, it's been a while since I did any Thomas episodes, so let's dig in, shall we?

THE OPINIONS, THOUGHTS AND MUSINGS IN THIS BLOG POST ARE SOLELY THOSE OF ZACK WANZER, NOT THE THOMAS FANDOM IN GENERAL

Season 5, Episode 11

Haunted Henry

Written by Britt Allcroft, David Mitton, and David Maidment

If you've read my Henry Spots Trouble review and analysis of Henry's character, you'll know that I don't have an issue with trying to make Henry distinct from Gordon and James by making him a worrier; my big problem with his worrisome persona how overplayed it was to the point it becomes annoying. If he tried to hide his fears, or at least some effort, that might not have been so bad, and this episode kind of shows why.

As Henry prepares to take a goods train to the station by the lake, Edward remarks that when an owl hoots, a mist rolls in, saying that a ghost might be about. Henry dismisses Edward's story and thinks he's talking nonsense... or was he? The mist does roll in and Henry stops by an amber lamp and later a tree with a sign nailed to it - BEWARE OF THE VIADUCT. In addition, the signal's red, the gates are closed, and a fogman's coat is hanging off the tree branch. Then Henry spots a light moving in the station building and realizes that it's a ghost, prompting him and his crew to go back.

The following morning, they don't know who warned them about the viaduct, but soon enough, it's repaired, although Henry is reluctant to take his train back there again. Later at night, Henry is startled by an owl and Gordon racing by with the express (on a side note, he seems to have had a larger role, but it was cut for reasons unknown) which prompts the trucks to laugh at him. Henry snaps that he isn't scared, but really, he is - and that's pretty much the portrayal I wish they'd use more; if Henry was worried for something, he could've tried to hide it, but later on becomes more unsure of himself, even though he keeps up with his facade.

Whilst Henry rolls through the fog pushing his trucks (for some reason), the trucks witness the gates closing and the signal turning red and go faster out of fear, despite Henry yelling for them to stop. The trucks hit a landslide and fall into the ravine, but luckily, Henry and his crew are safe. It turns out that Old Bailey the fogman (aka George Carlin) had been trying to warn them, and asks to run that old station as long as he promises not to spook Henry again, and he soon gets his wish as new stationmaster.

This episode's always been one of my favorites; the atmosphere and music really fit the scene brilliantly, and the character selections were brilliant. Not much else to say here; it's great.

Season 7, Episode 11

Bad Day at Castle Loch

Written by Jenny McDade

Ah yes, the Scottish twins' last major role until season 11 - here's hoping they get their episode soon in season 20, provided that season 19 ever resumes. Also, what's up with Michael Brandon's voice for the twins? They barely sound Scottish and sound more like they're Australian!

Donald and Douglas have a delivery to pick up at Brendam Docks - for the reopening of Lord Callan's castle, the twins are to pick up banners, buntings, and bagpipes to the castle. After Harvey loads the trucks, Percy is glad not to be going to Castle Loch, and the twins tease him that the monster might get him. Hey! We already have a set of twins for teasing - Bill and Ben! Why Donald and Douglas for teasing Percy? And again, why would they bicker over the monster's existence?

Donald and Douglas puff on towards Misty Valley and before they can reach the castle, they come across a fallen tree, and by sheer coincidence, a landslide knocks over the brakevan. (No mention of the guard being injured? Okay then...) They can't take the causeway cause it's old and dangerous - remember this - so Douglas' driver calls for help just as the Fat Controller tries on a new kilt.

Hours later, it's dark, and then Donald and Douglas notice something coming from the mist... the Loch Ness Monster! Nope, it's actually Harvey and the breakdown train... traveling on the causeway. Like, a minute ago, you said it was unsafe! Make up your freakin' minds! By morning, the lines are cleared and Donald and Douglas make their delivery safely and on time, and the grand re-opening is a huge success.

It's a nice episode, but it does have its problems like I mentioned above (and only one of them goes for the US dub). Still, it could've been worse... (I'm looking at you, S13-16!)

Season 8, Episode 21

Halloween

Written by Dave Ingham

We meet again, season eight; speaking of which, I have not been reviewing enough of it. I'll remedy that within the next month.

Thomas and Emily are assigned to pick up an important delivery of iron from the smelters yard. Percy tells them to take care and look out for ghosts, especially since it's Halloween, but Thomas and Emily dismiss it as make believe. Hm, awfully similar to Scaredy Engines, isn't it? But don't worry, the episode doesn't spend it's run-time making Thomas a hypocrite. As he and Emily approach the smelters, they feel less brave than they were on the journey. However, neither notice Arry and Bert making moaning and groaning noises, nor do they realize they're bumping flatbeds of scrap to scare them out of their wheels (metaphorically speaking, of course!)

Thomas and Emily pull up to the smelting shed, afraid that the ghost may have entered, but they go inside anyway, and Thomas tells himself to be brave (classic series reference, anyone?) whilst Emily turns around for shunting. Then suddenly, a white sheet falls on her, and she puffs forward in terror. Thomas thinks Emily is the ghost and runs off, as do Arry and Bert. Huh, the Scooby-Doo similarities are striking. The four engines race all the way to Tidmouth Sheds in fright, stopping before an accident occurs, and then the tarpaulin flies off of Emily, much to Thomas and the diesels' (and Emily's) embarrassment.

The Fat Controller shows up - in his pajamas, I should note, which is actually really funny - and demands to know what's going on. Thomas and Emily explain the strange happenings, and when questioned, Arry and Bert admit to causing all this chaos, and they're sent to do Thomas and Emily's job as punishment. Wait, two characters actually being punished for causing trouble?! That's something I won't be seeing for years!

I don't know why the ending was changed in America; it's not like kids haven't seen ghosts on decorations or on TV before! Anyway, I really like this episode; my favorite out of season eight, and one of many reasons not to completely dismiss said season.

Season 10, Episode 18

Sticky Toffee Thomas

Written by Paul Larson

I know this isn't a spooky episode, but since it contains kids in costumes, which are a Halloween norm, I'm going to include this here.

A fancy dress party is being held, and after a pointless minute of preparation, Thomas is given the task of giving train rides for the party, and is told to get a washdown. On the way, Thomas thinks about what he'd like as a costume. Percy then remarks that Thomas looks like a giant bubble, and then Thomas leaves without waiting for them to be rinsed off. This causes trouble for him as the bubbles sting his eyes, causing him to crash into Toby and the toffee tanker... that looks like a lot of generic tankers with a different cap. This causes Toby's axle to break, and when the Fat Controller shows up, Thomas is forced to take the tanker to the party... after the suds and bubbles are rinsed off properly.

Thomas makes a brief stop at the airport, and when he sees Jeremy, he imagines going as a jet plane... a jet tank engine? Okay then... Because of his daydreaming, Thomas races off, which causes him to run into a siding and toffee spills all over him - I guess the second knock must've been harder than the first, huh? Thomas then decides to take a shortcut to get to the party, and on the way, branches, leaves, and moss stick to him and the tanker without burning off... for some reason. Would've been cool to see a flaming tank engine, but ah well. Thomas makes it without a burn, and the children say he looks like a bush (Woolly Bear, anyone?)

It's another of those meh episodes. Nothing to write home about.

Season 17, Episode 13

The Phantom Express

Written by Paul Larson and Laura Beaumont

We're making a huge leap by about six seasons, folks!

I really like how this episode just cuts to the chase - Percy prepares to take the mail train, and makes it exciting is that it'll be his first delivery to Ulfstead Castle. James, however, teases him that the Phantom Express might catch him - rattling the rails and blowing his whistle - which terrifies Percy, but Thomas argues that ghosts don't exist (yeah, miles ahead of Scaredy Engines there). Soon, Percy reaches Ulfstead Castle where he meets up with Stephen, who dismisses the notion of ghosts himself. James shows up delivering coal for the castle, still determined to give Percy a scare, aided by the help of a hooting owl.

Later on, as Stephen leaves the castle, James blows his whistle which echos from some pipes. This terrifies Stephen so much that he runs backwards into a moat - "Well, that wasn't very clever now, was it?" Hahaha... Oh man, that line kills me! Anyway, Percy is looking around for Stephen when James quietly puffs up behind him and moans loudly to scare him. Percy also ends up running into the moat, to which Stephen remarks he found the meeting place. Again, funny, but it might've been even funnier if Percy said something like, "I hope you don't mind me dropping in like this."

James looks around for both Stephen and Percy to tell them it was all a joke, but he can't find them, and starts to feel spooked himself - so karma comes back to bite him in the tender, eh? With the drawbridge down, James can't see them, but he does hear their whistles and runs off in terror, thinking it's the Phantom Express. By sheer coincidence, he finds Thomas and the Fat Controller at the dairy, telling him about the Phantom Express. Turns out it's only Percy and Stephen still stuck in the moat, and James promptly apologizes for his trick. And yes, he is punished for his joke by taking Percy's mail every night for a month, and Percy and Stephen tease him about the Phantom once more (and if you're wondering, they were rescued and brought back onto firm rails).

The characters were nicely chosen, although I find it strange that the Earl and Millie weren't featured, but there you go - in each episode, we get what we get. You know, I've got a theory on this episode - Davey Moore said that they watch the previous special and season to get ideas for the next. By this logic, The Phantom Express may have well served as inspiration for Tale of the Brave, which also featured Percy and James as major players. I think this is a pretty good episode, and it's better than what Scaredy Engines presented.

Episode Ratings:

Haunted Henry: 9 out of 10

Bad Day at Castle Loch: 7 out of 10

Halloween: 9.5 out of 10

Sticky Toffee Thomas: 4 out of 10

The Phantom Express: 7.5 out of 10

Thomas and Friends Season 5 Scorecard

3. A Better View for Gordon: 9.5
5. James and the Trouble with Trees: 8.5
6. Gordon and the Gremlin: 7
10. Toby and the Flood: 3
11. Haunted Henry: 9

13. Stepney Gets Lost: 5.5

14. Toby's Discovery: 5

15. Something in the Air: 9
16. Thomas, Percy and Old Slowcoach: 10

18. Oliver's Find: 7

25. Rusty and the Boulder: 5
26. Snow: 1

Thomas and Friends Season 7 Scorecard

1. Emily's New Coaches: 10
4. The Old Bridge: 5.5
11. Bad Day at Castle Loch: 7

12. Rheneas and the Roller Coaster: 0

23. Gordon and Spencer: 10

Thomas and Friends Season 8 Scorecard

4. Henry and the Wishing Tree: 7.5
21. Halloween: 9.5
22. You Can Do it, Toby!: 4.5
25. Too Hot for Thomas: 2

Thomas and Friends Season 10 Scorecard

7. Thomas' Tricky Tree: 2.5
8. Toby's Afternoon Off: 7.5

9. It's Good to be Gordon: 9

13. Edward Strikes Out: 1
14. Topped Off Thomas: 0.5
18. Sticky Toffee Thomas: 4

20. Thomas' Frosty Friend: 0
27. James the Second Best: 5

Thomas and Friends Season 17 Scorecard

7. Henry's Hero: 5.5
12. The Thomas Way: 6
13. The Phantom Express: 7.5

23. The Afternoon Tea Express: 8

24. The Smelly Kipper: 8

Munitions vs. Sodor Surprise Day

Hey guys, and welcome to a very special review. If you're wondering, yes, I am going to review TUGS episode Munitions. However, I shall also be comparing it to Sodor Surprise Day. You'll find out.

THE OPINIONS, THOUGHTS AND MUSINGS IN THIS BLOG POST ARE SOLELY THOSE OF ZACK WANZER, AND NO ONE ELSE'S

If you've seen my Top 25 Worst Thomas is an Idiot Episodes list, I put Sodor Surprise Day at #1, yes, even higher than Wonky Whistle, the most infamous episode of the show. And yes, I hate Sodor Surprise Day even more than Fiery Flynn. Why I'm bringing this up is because Munitions gets everything right that Sodor Surprise Day gets wrong. For the latter episode, I focused on how stupid Thomas was in the episode; let's knock it aside because that episode is terrible in other areas as well.

Firstly, Sodor Surprise Day is a blatant rip off to Ho Ho Snowman, also from season 16. In the latter episode, Henry's idiocy managed to anger so many Thomas fans, not helped by the fact that Charlie was the catalyst of the problem. I said that it was very much the young child trying to get the grumpy old man to cheer up after a bad day, and I see what they were going with that, but they took every wrong turn possible. In Sodor Surprise Day, it feels like they wanted to go the same direction by using one of the commonly used character playoffs, in this case, Thomas and Gordon, but they ignored the big problems of Ho Ho Snowman and made them worse in that episode, the biggest offence being the fireworks being set off and Thomas isn't told off for his behavior.

And that brings me onto where Munitions gets it right; for one thing, Bluenose is obnoxious and bossy, and he works for the Navy, thinking that orders come first. Also, his impatience for being unloaded resulted in the dockyards being set on fire, and it's not helped that he thought fire safety was a waste of time. So yes, on whole, Bluenose lacked common sense, and he didn't consider the consequences of his behavior, never mind the implications. In Sodor Surprise Day, Thomas should've at least known better than to play around in a dangerous environment like Brendam Docks! It's not helped by the fact that the Fat Controller doesn't even scold him for being so reckless, whereas with Bluenose, he's sent away in disgrace (I believe) for causing so much trouble.

On a sidenote, since Zorran, Zebedee, and Zak were also at the dockyards when the fire started, it was nice of them so show some morality when there was danger, because even they wouldn't be so reckless to cause so much trouble, even if it was for a contract.

In Sodor Surprise Day, workers could've been seriously injured, or worse, killed, and there could've been damage to property! That's pretty much like Thomas running off while workmen were on him Wonky Whistle, only ten times worse. With Munitions, we see Krakatoa being torn apart and Big Mickey falls into the water, most likely killed (amazing how they got away with that in the 1980s, isn't it?)

Now, when I think of Thomas the character, I don't view him as being stupid, even after episodes like Topped Off Thomas, Scaredy Engines, Don't Go Back, Up, Up and Away, or especially Sodor Surprise Day - no, I view him more as a considerate sort of engine, as proved in episodes like Thomas Gets It Right and Thomas and the Storyteller. When I said Sodor Surprise Day was the Thomas equivalent to Pet Sitter Pat, I mean that it very much destroys a main character's likability, given that they had any left by that point. It'll be unavoidable when I eventually get to Happy Birthday Sir, by the way.

As for Munitions? This shows how fire safety should be brought into consideration; it demonstrates how consequences have actions, and we should always take care with explosives. Plus, it was a good follow-up to High Tide when Captain Star praises Big Mac for winning them the steel contract.

Munitions Rating: 10 out of 10

TUGS Episode Scorecard

1. Sunshine: 9
2. Pirate: 10
3. Trapped: 10
5. Quarantine: 9
6. High Winds: 9.5
10. High Tide: 9.5
11. Munitions: 10
12. Regatta: 9.5

Everything I Like About My Little Pony

Due to recent incidents, some people have been questioning me and my love for the show, just because I said a few... erm, not nice things. Well people, if you feel that way about me, I'm going to tell everybody what I like about My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, and I don't care if it gets people to shut up; I just want people to listen.

THE OPINIONS, THOUGHTS AND MUSINGS IN THIS BLOG POST ARE SOLELY THOSE OF ZACK WANZER; NOT THE MY LITTLE PONY FANDOM IN GENERAL

One thing I'll point out is that I'm focusing on Generation 4 only; I probably won't check out the first three any time soon. So... where do I start?

1. I owe a very big thanks to Lauren Faust for starting the show in the first place; it began when she was a girl, and her world of My Little Pony eventually became a reality in 2010. Starting off as a little girl's fantasy world, it became a worldwide phenomenon created by a redhead woman (and that's a compliment).
2. On top of that, Lauren brought in some of the best people to write for the show - like Foster's Home co-writers Amy Keating Rogers and Cindy Morrow - and some of the best voice actors for the characters, from veterans like Tara Strong to up-and-coming voice artists like Michelle Creber. 
3. Friendship is Magic (or Mare in the Moon and Elements of Harmony, if you prefer) was a great start to the show; there were issues like pacing and a few plot holes, but even then, you got to start somewhere, hence I give it an 8/10.
4. The rest of season one was quite good as well. It was 7.5/10 mostly due to the quality of writing and a couple of bad episodes (Swarm of the Century and Owl's Well That Ends Well), but still, you gotta start somewhere, and small mistakes I can forgive for the most part.
5. It's amazing to how they got a few A-list celebrities to guest star on the show; they brought in John de Lancie from Star Trek as Discord, "Weird Al" Yankovic as Cheese Sandwich, Jan Rabson as Wind Rider, and they're bringing in Lena Hall for Amy's last episode of the show later in the year for season five (at the time of writing).
6. After Lauren Faust left, she left the show under the control of Meghan McCarthy, which was a strong move, I feel. Lauren was giving away the world she created and wanted to move on to other projects, which is very understanding. Plus, episodes like Pinkie Pride proved the show can be great without Lauren's presence (well, you can try saying that to some Thomas fans who want Britt Allcroft back, but I digress.)
7. Season two is less my least favorite and more the least good season of the show; in fairness, the fact that it was building on the foundations of season one was great, and it took its morals to the next level by being just a little bit more mature - in the cases of Dragon Quest and Ponyville Confidential, they backfired miserably, but episodes like Family Appreciation Day and Read It and Weep did fantastically; in the case of Read It and Weep, that was something I actually went through with the show itself!
8. With A Canterlot Wedding, I like how the writers were also willing to expand on the cast with characters like Shining Armor and Princess Cadance. Yeah, they weren't appreciated at first, but since then, they've gained some love. (Regarding Flash Sentry? It's been two years people - let it go already!) I'm somewhat grateful not to get into the show back then cause I probably would've reacted similarly, but come 2014, I'm actually glad they took that risk. Plus, it adds a little more to Twilight in regards to her family and past.
9. Although shorter than the previous two, season three was the real icebreaker for the show. It even handled brilliantly what fans have wanted for a while - Scootaloo becoming closer to Rainbow Dash, the latter getting closer to joining the Wonderbolts, the return of Discord, and even a hinting towards Applejack's dead parents (how they died, we may not know; maybe in season six?)
10. This was very controversial, but the idea of Twilight Sparkle becoming an alicorn was a very good move; it shows that she is growing as a character and she definitely deserved it.
11. I really like the idea of the Equestria Girls spinoff; it very much opens up more possibilities for story-telling and it introduced my second and third favorite characters overall. (On a sidenote, please give both Sunset and Flash respective episodes of their own, that's all I ask of you writers!) My only problem is that it feels like it's being treated like a spinoff; if they somehow tie it up to the actual show (if a certain scene in a certain movie is anything to go by) that wouldn't be such a problem to me. Despite this, it actually got me into the show in the first place back in 2013! No, really!
12. Season four is my most favorite of the entire show; the idea of two story-arcs in one season was a fantastic move, and it ended very strong with its two best episodes - Equestria Games and Twilight's Kingdom. Sure, the former wasn't about the games, but if it had, we would've gotten little character development. Plus, I personally believe Spike deserved that role, and he's a character who deserves respect. On whole, season four combined the best of what made the previous three good.
13. Rainbow Rocks is my favorite of the films; it made my love for Sunset Shimmer stronger, it had some of the franchise's greatest songs, and it had three of the best villains overall.
14. Come season five, and it's taken the world of Equestria to new heights now that Twilight has a castle of her own. The idea of the map was brilliant, and it brought in unexplored territory to the show. Plus, the season even brought in characters who haven't had much screentime since their initial debuts back in the first four seasons.
15. Yes, I still hate Slice of Life (as if people didn't know that already), but despite what I think of it, the fact that the show even made it to a hundred episodes (although it felt more like 93, but still) was astounding. The episode itself just didn't work within the show.
16. I really love Amending Fences, my second move favorite episode in the show. I had read an unpublished comment (that I deleted) saying the episode was bad because of a continuity error. I didn't understand his complaint - not wholly, at least - but he was missing something important; Twilight didn't see Minuette, Lemon Hearts, and Twinkleshine as friends, she saw them more as acquaintances (although Moon Dancer could be argued). Plus, she couldn't remember her Canterlot friends too well and wanted to make amends with them, which she did by the end. So yeah, I'm sticking by my original review, and the 10/10 rating I gave it.
17. With the current season overall, it looks as though they're revisiting older episodes that didn't work in the past and making them better - for example, Appleoosa's Most Wanted did right what Somepony to Watch Over Me didn't, and Rarity Investigates! was a superior MMMystery on the Friendship Express. Party Pooped could've also been great if it weren't so messy, but I digress. The fact that they're even calling back to past episodes is great.
18. Having confirmed that a movie will be made with a 2017 release, it could be a testament to the show we've grown to love for seven years (when it comes out, of course).

But what's important to me most of all? Whenever I'm feeling down, upset, or just simply bored, I may sometimes look at some fan art, read a few fanfics, or watch an actual episode (most of them). I've had a lot of dark days, (they're becoming more frequent apparently) whether I've had a rough day at school, got into a few arguments, or heard some very sad news. But like Thomas and Friends, My Little Pony can help me forget my woes and cheer me up, regardless as to what I think about certain characters and episodes.

And those are all the reasons as to why I really love My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. If you still think that I'm a "bad fan", well, I'd rather be one for speaking my mind rather than be a "good fan" claiming everything is perfect, especially when Lauren Faust was around. Bear in mind that everyone has different tastes and that every episode has it's flaws, even the best. If you do like the show despite problems you might have, good for you. However, I do have a few issues with a certain movie, but that's another story...