My Little Pony Season 7 - Final Thoughts

Well, after a heap of struggles throughout 2017, I finally managed to cover all of My Little Pony's seventh season, and what a journey it has been! But for now, it's high time I gave it one final look over, and answer this question; will it be better than season six?

Like the last two seasons, the episodes of season seven will be ranked from worst to best, rather than airdate order. You can click on the headers to read the full reviews as the overview isn't going into major detail for the most part. Unlike the last two seasons, however, I will only be discussing the episodes. Everything else like characters, music, voice acting, and animation are very much standard at this point.

Whenever I have the chance, I'll make a list on the Top 10 worst episodes of MLP. Secrets and Pies will undoubtedly be on it, most likely at #3. Why is this the worst of season seven? Because I was expecting better from it. Simple as that.

Yes, I was annoyed by To Where and Back Again, but that was more to do with the bad timing of the story and a lot of the contrived coincidences in the plot. Also, the fact that Starlight Glimmer's arc was resolved so easily in one season made the sixth frustrating to enjoy as a whole, even with the good episodes here and there. But, in hindsight, the finale came from a season where lackluster writing was to be expected.

Secrets and Pies? This came from a season where the writing was expected to be an improvement, and the fact that it was two episodes shy of the finale made it all the more frustrating. It becomes even more so when you consider how poorly Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were handled. The former is an insensitive jerk, and the latter is a creepy stalker; neither are sympathetic in the slightest!

If you're a fan of either character, stay away from this one. It's a complete insult to the show's theme, there's the unfortunate implication of Rainbow Dash's and Pinkie Pie's friendship being destroyed (as well as the former potentially ending up being one of the worst characters of the show), and the ending is terribly convoluted. All of that makes it worse than the most infamous episode of the season...

I don't know if Hasbro or the writers like shooting themselves in the foot, but they've done this quite a lot since season five. The 100th episode being a complete mess of "story", Luna coming off as potentially endangering Equestria again through self-harm, Diamond Tiara coming off as unsympathetic (and being overshadowed by the Crusaders getting their cutie marks because reasons...), Starlight's backstory being terrible, Friendship Games being wasted potential, Rainbow Dash joining the Wonderbolts being anti-climactic and mean-spirited, Thorax being a complete disappointment of a character, the aforementioned To Where and Back Again, Flash and Sunset's "dynamic" coming from an out-of-nowhere bit of dialogue in the first movie (and having no pay off), and Sunset returning to Equestria just to bring Starlight into the human world and be the big hero yet again. Fame and Misfortune itself can be added to that pile.

There were (and probably are, in fact) better ways for Hasbro to respond to audience criticisms, a lot of which are actually fairly genuine. This is not one of those, and it comes off as a Mane Six Torture Porn. Even sadder is that they're all actually in character for the most part. If Larson had actually stuck to his guns and wrote the episode he wanted to write, it could've been much better as well. Oh, and by being a season five leftover, it uses "jokes" which have long since lost their significance. And speaking of season five...!

There was so little to talk about here that I practically struggled to find anything I thought was worth talking about. In fact, this was probably one of those episodes that felt like repetitive humor was forced in just to pad out the episode to 22 minutes. That, and cherry-picking its own continuity. How could anyone have conveniently forgotten that Pinkie could've asked anyone from the Crystal Empire to help?

The only good thing I can come up with is that you can easily forget Not Asking for Trouble ever happened. It's practically a filler episode and... well... I don't know what else to say. It just sucks as a whole.

Here's some behind the scenes insight for you; I was going to give the episode a 4/10, but when I rewatched it for the sake of reviewing, a bigger problem occurred to me, so I settled with giving it a 2/10.

A fair number of you were surprised that I gave it such a harsh rating, but consider, if you will, how I feel about the "dynamic" between Flash Sentry and Sunset Shimmer. This is the exact same problem with Sunburst and Starlight. The episode gives me no reason to even care for their friendship. At all. Yep, it's yet another case where Hasbro and/or the writers shoot themselves in whatever feet they have left (along with giving the latest Equestria Girls online "series" a two or three minute runtime  instead of ten... because why not) - heck, the ankles are probably gone by now.

Also, I don't really see why Sunburst has a fanbase of his own; he's literally everything fans complained about Flash Sentry - bland, uninteresting, and pointless. Sunburst is practically style over substance, and you could literally forget he existed if not for his role in Shadow Play (more on that later). If Starlight got bullied for not having a cutie mark in her teens and resented that she got hers so late, The Cutie Re-Mark would've been largely the same, and the ending would've been even better! Sunburst's inclusion very much shot the story in the head.

Okay, getting back to Uncommon Bond, the theme displayed here is okay for the most part. Twilight and Maud do shine with the character they have - heck, even Trixie probably had a few great moments - and Starlight is fairly relatable. But apart from that, this episode was just a complete slog to sit through, and by the end of it all, I was thinking, "that's it?"

As the last entry of the bottom five, these are my two tips for seasons eight and nine:

1. Don't write in subplots if A) they have no bearing on the main plot, and B) they're included just to pad out the runtime.
2. Don't write the story's characters solely to teach the moral.

Those, to me, are the biggest downfalls of this episode. If they cut it down to two acts, and if Trixie learned to better herself and that carried over onto her later appearances, this probably would have worked better. At least Starlight was actually relatable here, and that this felt like a starting point for her getting better in terms of character, even if this episode was frustrating at best.

It says a lot about season seven's quality when an episode merely ranked a 6/10 barely reaches the #20 spot. The plot isn't really all that good, especially since it's loaded with cliches, but the characters' strengths barely prevent it from being outright mediocre. And actually, this is pretty much an issue with Josh Hamilton's writing; the conflict in the story comes off as contrived at the best of times, and it kind of leaves you wondering who we're meant to root for by the episode's ending.

Same problems, same writer, different episode. However, what makes this one marginally better is that there's a clearer idea as to what Hamilton was actually intending.

That being said, it served as a strength and a weakness to this episode, especially in the ending. Maybe if there was a clearer idea as to who we're meant to root for at the end, as well as having Rainbow Dash's parents show a bit of restraint in their support for their daughter, this would probably rank higher. As it stands, it's merely passable.

I still believe this episode is held down by a thin plot, but then again, isn't My Little Pony generally viewed as a slice of life series? That said, it's the strength of the characters that serve to give this episode legs to stand on. Most of them, anyway. And yes, it is an improvement over Fame and Misfortune, but it's only at #18 on the list mostly due to the quality of this season. However, for the most part, there isn't a whole lot I can say that I haven't.

One other thing though; can we have an episode where Twilight's parents come to Ponyville and/or interact with another of the Mane Six's parents? I think you'd have a great episode with an idea like that!

Honestly, I'm surprised at how well this episode holds up. Despite there being a problem with Pinkie Pie being annoying - but then again, she does have a reputation for being written inconsistently - this is still a good episode on its own merits. Again, I haven't much to add to what I've already said, and even though this doesn't make my personal Top 10, Rock Solid Friendship is an episode you can't overlook.

Have I mentioned that the Crusaders have been outstanding characters in the past few years? This episode is why. They're growing up and it especially shows with how much their voices have deepened slightly since Call of the Cutie.

As I said in the review, there was a missed opportunity to have Starlight assist the Crusaders since A) she's never fully interacted with them, and B) she could've helped Rumble through her own experiences with cutie marks.

Other than that, it's a great episode with some really strong themes. And yeah, Rumble's behavior in this episode isn't going to be to everyone's tastes and that's fair enough, but at least he's got more charisma than other characters I could mention... (I'm looking at you, Sunburst!)

This was another surprisingly good episode, especially given how much I loathe Thorax as a character. Heck, this puts his debut episode to shame!

Something I didn't notice until after I posted the review was that Trixie's role would be considered useless and she could be cut out entirely. I... kind of agree and kind of disagree at the same time. Yes, she didn't do much in the plot, but given the events of To Where and Back Again, I figure she probably went along with Starlight to the hive to see Thorax since she missed out on the events of Triple Threat. (Insert "Headcanon accepted!" quote here.)

But on the whole, there's not much else to say. And it only gets better from here...!

I think it's safe to say this episode is extremely divisive among the fandom. Heck, it's probably one of the most divisive of the show. I can see both sides of the argument, but honestly? I see it as something of a guilty pleasure in hindsight, so I can't really bring myself to tear it a new one especially since I've already torn Legend of Everfree to shreds.

But really, I seemed to talk more about the current state of Equestria Girls (and believe me, Better Together is a load of trash) than I did the actual episode. I'll admit I tend to go for digressions in my reviews, but that was probably the biggest in any review I've written thus far.

As for Big Macintosh being paired up with Sugar Belle? No, I'm not too much bothered by it. Yes, it's out of nowhere; yes, the way they got together came off as strange; and yes, romance shouldn't be utilized as a plot point for an MLP episode... but to be honest, they have more chemistry and charisma together in one episode alone than Flash and Sunset ever did for the last four years. And there are implications that he might end up with Sci-Twi...

On whole, even if I can see where people who dislike it are coming from, I can't really bring myself to hate this episode. It may not rank very highly among the 9/10s, but I suppose it could be good for a few laughs if you're in the right mood.

How appropriate; the first episode of the season is in the dead middle of the list. Even though there are episodes this season that have more narrative and substance, this was still a great opener to the season and a surprisingly relaxed one as well, especially given how weary I was for the show's future. But of course, I get why fans would find it a boring start to an otherwise solid season. For me, the strength lies in the humor, characterization for Celestia, and the heartwarming moments.

The episode's theme is a rather personal one to me. I generally want to be as honest as possible, but sometimes, I need to show some restraint so I'm not hurting anyone unintentionally. I figure that may have been because I posted this immediately after an analysis on Flash and Sunset's dynamic.

What kept this from getting a 10, however, was that Applejack's bluntness seemed rather over the top. Yeah, Rarity did ask her for her opinions, but did Applejack really need to take it that far? Granted, it does lead to the episode's message, but still.

I figure it's also worth mentioning as to how much the judges' reactions seemed shockingly akin to how Thomas fans react to opinions that don't line up with theirs. Sure, this episode was being produced long before the Thomas fanbase exploded, but the similarities are pretty disturbing, to say the least...!

Everything else is really good, however; though I wish they'd stop giving us Applejack/Rarity episodes every season. This dynamic has gotten old, really fast.

Missing the Top 10 by one spot is one of the first episodes leading up to the finale. I'm sure that when it first came out, it was largely dismissed as an okay, filler episode. But this episode is more than that.

It's great that there's continuity within the episode, especially if you watched Sleepless in Ponyville before this, and although there isn't much to the Crusaders and their sisters (sister figure, in Scootaloo's case) being stuck in the cave, it's still charming in its own way.

The stories being told themselves are fantastic as well. Yeah, they're the main focus of the episode, but with so little you could do with being stuck in a cave, what other option was there? Plus, the themes presented in each of them are great. But now, let's get to my personal top 10 episodes of season seven... the big ones!

To be honest, I don't think I should've given Discordant Harmony a 9. Given how this had pretty much nothing wrong with it, I feel I should've ranked this one higher - at least to the #6 spot with a rating of 10.

This is also a similar problem with Fluttershy Leans In. In fact it's probably the weakest MLP episode I've given a 10.

There's nothing wrong with either review that I've made, but in hindsight, I feel I've ranked Fluttershy Leans In so highly because I was unsure what the rest of the season would bring, and nearly every episode in the Top 10 came after this episode. I could've swapped its rating around with Discordant Harmony so the Fluttershy episode would be at #10 and the Discord episode at around #6, but the reason I didn't was for the sake of consistency.

On Equestria Daily, it was Somnambula who was ranked the best of the Pillars of Equestria, and I think it's easy to see why. The theme about not giving up hope is one anyone can relate to, I'm sure, and it's another one I can personally relate to. And the fact that Somnambula relied on hearing rather than sight is impressive and could also be relatable to the blind.

It does, however, also suffer from being a bit similar to previous Daring Do-centric episodes, but since each of them had a different message, that's only a minor complaint. Daring Done? is enjoyable to watch, and that's good enough for me.

This is probably the best episode to date by first-time writers. And again, there is very little I can say that I haven't. Flurry Heart is adorable and charismatic for someone of her age, and her bonding with Aunt Twilight is heartwarming. No major complaints here apart from an issue regarding how baby ponies look in the show.

Since I reviewed this about two weeks ago, I'll keep this brief. It's the best finale since Twilight's Kingdom, and it shows that once again, My Little Pony is in good hooves. I'm wondering if season eight can lead on from this really well and maybe show a redemption arc for both Star Swirl and Stygian...

I don't know if I mentioned this to anyone, but I'm not a fan of MLP going for style over substance in their episodes. (And even less so with their characters, but that's a topic for another day.) Slice of Life and a majority of the Equestria Girls productions post-Friendship Games flopped for me because it felt like the gimmicks took priority over the story.

But this episode? There was a gimmick with Rarity's punk look, but it didn't feel out of place and actually tied into the moral really well. I still feel they could've carried it over onto a few episodes, but we got what we got.

And when it comes to Rarity, there is little chance of getting her character wrong when she's the lead. I don't know if this is her best episode to date, but Mane Thing is definitely well in the Top 5, and it's even more surprising that it showed a chance of redemption for Josh Haber.

And speaking of writer's redemption, it was during season six that the Fox brothers had a fantastic start with The Gift of the Maud Pie, but sadly, it was downhill from there, but then Forever Filly and Discordant Harmony came around.

You know, it's been a recurring theme for season seven to take previous ideas and either improve on them, or take a different angle. For example, Once Upon a Zeppelin, as I mentioned earlier, is an improved Fame and Misfortune; Discordant Harmony takes a different angle on Lesson Zero; and this episode is a vastly improved Somepony to Watch Over Me.

But on the whole, I think the review speaks for itself. It's got a fantastic theme that can transcend to all families young and old.

You know what? I think this one has been given enough praise (even from me), so let's move on. The review will speak for itself.

And so we get to the "pear" of episodes that have been consistently singled out for praise. It's really difficult to decide what's the best thing about The Perfect Pear; is it the guest performances of William Shatner and Felicia Day? The song? The Romeo and Juliet vibes? The bittersweet ending? But really, everything about this is simply wonderful.

For most people, this would be #1. But for me? There's one more episode on this list that I haven't covered...

This episode is one I will forever see as a miracle until the day I die or when Generation 4 comes to an end (and that may be sooner than we think). Whichever comes first.

I know people will complain (because of course they can) about Starlight switching the sisters' cutie marks, but honestly? It doesn't bug me that much. Starlight wanted to understand why Celestia and Luna were mad with each other and tried to approach it rationally, but she switched their cutie marks because the argument was escalating, so she had to intervene before it got worse. I'm sure all of us have been there at least one point in our lives.

And more recently, there's been similarities between this episode and Emily in the Middle, only it's less than half the length, Emily takes the role of Starlight, and Donald and Douglas take the role of the royal sisters. However, the Thomas episode suffers for a couple of reasons:

1. It's a pretty blatant retelling of Love Me Tender from the previous season with Emily and other characters sprinkled on top. Sure, her role in the episode is great, but...
2. ...there is only so far you can take Donald and Douglas as argumentative brothers. They don't always need to be tied together (especially not in winter episodes), and their personalities are far more nuanced than the current writers seem to think thus far! Yes, this was done back in seasons six and seven, but at least try a little more variety with them in future episodes (which they will appear in, regardless of what certain fans think).

Getting back to A Royal Problem; the episode itself really shines during the third act. With Starlight feeling like she's failed her mission, we get to see a really epic battle between Nightmare Moon and Daybreaker, as well as explanation as to why Celestia rarely uses her magic in major battles like we saw in A Canterlot Wedding - she doesn't want to hurt anypony after the battle with Nightmare Moon.

When it comes to favorites and least favorites, I always try to explain best as I can to why I feel this way. So what makes A Royal Problem my favorite episode of season seven? Well, I could say that it's because it oozes with charm, but that's a bit like saying "the best Equestria Girls: Better Together short is Blah Blah Blah because it's the least rubbish", but that's not really a good explanation, is it?

There is a lot about A Royal Problem that makes it work as a whole; there was not a single moment where I was feeling annoyance or anger. Getting to the "oozing with charm" comment, I believe much of it lies in the three lead characters, especially when you consider their reputations - Celestia being labeled as a tyrant by the fandom, Luna potentially threatening Equestria again with the ending of Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep?, and very much the entirety of Starlight's season six arc. So, I think it's safe to say that Joanna Lewis and Kristine Songco did all three characters justice in one episode alone. They did quite well with Celestia in Celestial Advice, but they did a fantastic job with her here.

A Royal Problem is the first in what I can consider the "we're doing what we can to make MLP great again" trilogy, and I include The Perfect Pear and Shadow Play in it. All these episodes together feel like some kind of renaissance for the franchise, especially given the dip in quality that was seasons five and six. Sadly, there's always the groups of people who say the show should've ended at season four and that everything after is inferior (it is true for some shows, even if they do eventually improve at some point down the road; good luck sitting through season ten of The Fairly OddParents).

But what really cements this episode as the best of season seven in my opinion is that it feels like, for the first time in ages, Starlight Glimmer actually feels like a genuine character. Granted, there were hints in All Bottled Up and Rock Solid Friendship, but this is the first time it's more blatant to the audience.

Overall, A Royal Problem is an absolute joy to sit through. It's got funny moments, dramatic moments, strong characters, a wonderful villain, and to date, it is the only episode worthy of challenging Twilight's Kingdom as my favorite episode in all of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. What's not to like about it?

Final Thoughts

Season seven was not a perfect season. It definitely had an episode with some of the worst themes of the entire show, a couple more episodes feel pointless, some characters don't come off as well-rounded, likable and/or sympathetic, and four of the five songs come off as merely forgettable at best and painfully ear-grating at worst. And it's also getting harder to keep track of who's writing for the show.

However... the positives do outweigh the negatives by a lot. Most of the themes in the episodes are fantastic (even if some were re-hashed), Starlight got better as a character, the expanding lore is amazing, the Mane Six feel like real characters again (even Rainbow Dash to an extent), there's a lot of character growth to those who've been around since the first two seasons, and we've also got some variety within the episodes.

Do I think it's of equal quality to season four? Not really. Even though season four had only two episodes that were sub-par at best, season seven had five, and two of its episodes got negative ratings. That being said, season seven is a step in the right direction for My Little Pony. Let's hope that season eight can follow up on that, but let's try not to set expectations too high...

Rating: 8.5 out of 10