My Little Pony Revisited: Season 3, Episodes 1-7

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!

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.

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:

1. 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.
2. (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.

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.

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.

Rating: Excellent (9/10)

My Little Pony Revisited: Season 2, Episodes 20-26

So the second half of the season isn't doing so hot right now, but can this batch of episodes turn things around?

It's About Time

Written by M. A. Larson

I said that for every bad episode Larson writes, a good one is quick to follow. Unfortunately, this was two bad episodes in a row for him. It doesn't help that this has the exact same plotline (or at least, it's similar) to Lesson Zero. In the same season!

So Twilight gets a cryptic message from her future self, and freaks out. I don't like how this episode treats her, and it becomes obvious that when she gets the paper cut first that there's nothing to worry about, which makes her look like an idiot. It's to the point that she fixes up minor things like Pinkie getting a haircut and clearing garbage from the ground as if they're a potential disaster.

Oh, and speaking of whom, Pinkie adds nothing to the episode except comedy. She'd be cut completely and nothing would change.

Another bad episode, and one that's designed to be watched once. Even on a first viewing, the outcome is obvious, again, making Twilight look like an idiot. Much like her sneaking around Canterlot despite that the guard knew she was Celestia's student! You think she overthought that aspect too much? And how in Equestria did Cerberus escape?

Rating: Bad (1/10)

Dragon Quest

Written by Merriwether Williams

Now we're getting to this episode; one of the most infamously hated of the entire show.

The episode seems to imply that all ponies are nice and friendly, and dragons are rude and aggressive. Yeah, let's forget the times ponies have been rude to one another, shall we? Let's forget the fact that Spike is a dragon and has only terrorized Ponyville once, and that's only because he was under the influence of greed. Why would he want to act like other dragons if he was already happy with who he was?

Yeah, speaking of which, why do the Mane Six have to be so mean to him just because he wore an apron? That's not harmless teasing, that's just being an outright jerk! Heck, Rainbow Dash doesn't apologize for being mean to him, especially since she initiated the teasing to begin with and drive him onto taking his quest! I don't think Rarity or Twilight were any better either, especially when the former unintentionally upsets him with baby talk and the latter let him go on the quest to begin with. Yeah, she realized her mistake, but still; by then, it's too little too late.

And I know this doesn't have anything to do with the racist implications of the episode, but I'll mention regardless that it implies girls are nice and don't fight whilst boys are rude and do. It doesn't help that Garble and his gang are basically one-note stereotypes in this episode.

You notice I haven't even begun to talk about the story yet. It's supposedly about self-discovery, but it is so poorly handled that we don't even know anything about the dragons. Was the group Spike ran into the exception and not the rule? Why do they migrate? What's their relationship with other creatures outside of the ponies? Sure, some of them get resolved in future seasons, but it seems to paint all dragons (except Spike) in a negative light.

It's a tragic shame that Merriwether Williams went from great SpongeBob episodes like Band Geeks to awful My Little Pony episodes like this one. The implications the episode displays are utterly horrifying and it completely goes against what Dragonshy showed; the dragon in that episode wasn't causing trouble on purpose. He just didn't know that his snoring was putting innocent lives at risk. Heck, even the dragon from Owl's Well That Ends Well wasn't a straight up jerk; he was angry that some of his food was being stolen by another smaller dragon.

But here? The dragons depicted are one-note stereotypes with no redeeming qualities. Couple that with poor portrayals of Twilight, Rainbow Dash and Rarity and the botched message, you get one of the worst episodes of the entire show.

Rating: Terrible (-5/10)

Hurricane Fluttershy

Written by Cindy Morrow

Finally, after a string of episodes ranging from mediocre to outright awful, we're finally back on track with an episode that isn't good... but amazing!

To start with, this episode does everything that Putting Your Hoof Down wished it did. It portrays Fluttershy sympathetically, there's an actual reason for her to be picked around, and the moral is properly conveyed. Well, two morals, actually; don't give up when the stakes are high, and don't let your stage performance cloud your performance.

You really feel for poor Fluttershy in the flashback when she makes a poor performance and gets mocked viciously for it, and even more so when she was unable to produce one wingpower, much to her great shame. But then, she proves herself triumphant in the end by giving the extra push to transport the water needed for Cloudsdale, and the taunting against her becomes cheering for her.

Rainbow Dash was great too, especially considering the poor treatment she got this season. She's sympathetic towards Fluttershy and not the mean-spirited bully she was in 28 Pranks Later (trust me; I'll get to that piece of trash soon enough). Heck, poor Rainbow even feels dismayed that Fluttershy won't help despite her improvement, but perseveres anyway to try and get the water Cloudsdale needs, especially when a few Pegasi short due to feather flu.

There's honestly very little you can say about an episode that does everything right. Hurricane Fluttershy really is that good; you can't ask for more from it.

Rating: Excellent (10/10)

Ponyville Confidential

Written by M. A. Larson

Episode quality should not be guaranteed based off of its intention alone. I know what this episode's intention is, but it means nothing if the execution is sloppy, especially since this episode is one of the most unpleasant of the show to watch. However, that doesn't mean I hated watching it most; there are many episodes I hate more, so it doesn't necessarily make Ponyville Confidential the worst episode of the show either. Let's dig in, shall we?

I'll be fair and say that the episode starts decently enough with the Crusaders deciding to join the Foal Free Press, especially after Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo misunderstand what Apple Bloom tried telling them at first. But as soon as "Gabby Gums" becomes a hit, that's where things fall into uncomfortable territory - I couldn't even bring myself to watch the third act, but I know how it plays out anyway.

Yeah, I know you'll bring up the fact that the majority of Ponyville comes of as hypocritical, especially Rarity, who gets hit with it worst and is one of her worst performances of the show... except maybe for her "I'll destroy her" quote, which is kinda funny. That's not the problem I have here.

Then there is the fact that there are grown mares and stallions taking a school newspaper seriously like they need it in order to survive. That is not the problem I have either.

Speaking of grown mares, Cheerilee disappears from the story the moment Diamond Tiara turns up, and her sudden appearance at the end just raises questions why she didn't act earlier when it came to the Foal Free Press being distributed across Equestria. That, you guessed it, is not the problem I have either.

"But if it's not any of the above problems you have, then what is your stick with Ponyville Confidential?"

Even if you didn't, I'm glad you asked. The real problem with the episode is that it takes itself (and the message, by extension) way too seriously. This problem here is twofold.

The first is how compared to light-hearted episodes this season like Hearts and Hooves Day and Secret of My Excess, Ponyville Confidential feels too out of place. If this had aired during the later seasons, I could understand, but this is season two we're in. You could argue it lead up to more mature episodes like Amending Fences, but... other episodes have done something similar (Hurricane Fluttershy and Sisterhooves Social spring to mind) and they produced far more enjoyable experiences.

The second problem is how depressing the story becomes, especially in the third act, and as I mentioned, I couldn't even bring myself to sit through Rarity chewing out Sweetie Belle, much less Ponyville isolating the Crusaders. I know they were involved in the Gabby Gums scandal, but the adult ponies weren't exactly in the right either; they wanted more from them and got mad when they themselves ended up in the column. Yeah, they forgive them in the end, but it's too little too late and not enough to salvage the episode.

So yeah, the problem isn't the townsponies' hypocrisy or the plot contrivances; it's the fact that this type of story is in a show for little girls!

Yes, I know some kids take things differently from other kids and have their own breaking points, but an episode like this should think about their audience as a whole. For example, Henry Spots Trouble was banned from Australian television due to concerns about the episode promoting an anti-vaccination message towards chicken pox. Just One Bite was edited in the United States to remove a scene with Squidward trying to get into the Krusty Krab and getting burned out of fear of children imitating the stunt. Heck, even in this show, The Last Roundup was edited due to complaints about Derpy supposedly being a mockery towards disabled people, and The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 has not been broadcast in either the United Kingdom or Italy due to cider being viewed as an alcoholic drink.

While I don't think it's the worst episode of the season, much less the entire show, it's still pretty bad. For all the issues that have been brought up, however, the episode's pacing and story structure is its strongest aspect despite the convolutions, which I can't really say about Swarm of the Century, Not Asking for Trouble, and especially The Mean 6.

Rating: Bad (2/10)

MMMystery on the Friendship Express

Written by Amy Keating Rogers

For an episode that's mystery-related, there's nothing that really sticks out... except that once again, Pinkie's just incredibly irrational and, not to mention, rather stupid. She very much causes the mystery by detailing how delicious all four desserts were, and when the MMMM is eaten at, she's quick to accuse the other bakers of sabotaging it. Sure, Pinkie learns not to jump to conclusions like that, but it feels underwhelming.

Also, why were Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Rarity so tempted to even eat the MMMM? No, wait; it's because of Pinkie, that's why! Then again, I expected nothing less from Pinkie in this season. (Oh, and by the way; the engineer and stoker are in charge of the locomotive, not the conductor.) It's really underwhelming as a whole (how many times have I mentioned it here?).

Rating: Bad (3/10)

A Canterlot Wedding

Written by Meghan McCarthy

After a season that's been all over the place since The Return of Harmony, I can safely say that A Canterlot Wedding ends things on... a very positive note!

Sometimes, if you wanna go out big, you gotta go out big. I'm not focusing too much on the... ahem, "controversies" surrounding this finale, but I will, however, address the accusation scene at the end of part one. Twilight is suspicious of what everypony thinks is Cadance but no one up to that point took her seriously. When she even called "Cadance" evil, everyone chews her out for it. Here's a few things to point out:

1. The rest of the Mane Six had never met Cadance before, so they wouldn't have known what she was like.
2. Twilight didn't have any solid evidence with her (physically, at least), and she was very much on her own.
3. A wedding as big as the one between Shining Armor and Cadance is a huge deal, so small things such as "Cadance's" rudeness wouldn't have meant much, referring back to point #1 for a bit.
4. We're seeing things from Twilight's point of view only; no one else's.

In a sense, however you look at it, both sides were right and wrong. Plus, I'd much rather see a few minutes of a wedding rehearsal going wrong than an entire special constantly dumping on a character who A) didn't deserve it and B) barely got any character development in Rainbow Rocks.

Now that that's out of the way, what else is there to say? Well, the first part is a bit slow paced in order to establish Shining Armor and Cadance; not necessarily a bad thing, but it does take a while for the plot to get off the ground.

That being said, it's nice to see how much Twilight looks up to her older brother and foalhood foalsitter, especially in the flashbacks. You can't get more adorable than Twilight and Cadance's "sunshine, sunshine" ditty. With a few exceptions, perhaps, but still.

I rarely bring up music, but the songs included are some of the best out of this season. Twilight's solo about Shining Armor, again, shows how much she cares for him, and the reprise is pretty heartbreaking. The ending song was also nice, but the villain song, "This Day Aria", is unquestionably the best of the bunch. One can imagine Britt McKillip having this much fun in the studio!

Speaking of villains, this reminded me of how good Chrysalis was as a bad guy back then. She's conniving, sinister, crafty, etc. and you can tell that she means business when her swarm attacks Canterlot. It's a shame she dropped to being a joke in The Mean 6, and people are campaigning for her to be reformed, even though there's evidence that such an idea is stupid and wouldn't work.

The fight between the Mane Six and the Changeling swarm is utterly awesome and funny; no words can be said to do it justice. Just watch it for yourself!

Oh yeah, and there's also the complaints about Luna not partaking in the final battle against the Changelings, even leading to the meme "Luna is Useless". If you wanted an episode that shows how little the writers seem to care for her, look at Luna Eclipsed and how it kept dumping all over her.

It's not really saying much, but this is one of the best episodes season two has had to offer. It's funny, action-packed, heartwarming, and has a great message. There's not much more you could ask for.

Rating: Excellent (10/10)

Final Season Ranking: Okay (4/10)

My Little Pony Revisited: Season 2, Episodes 14-19

Well, this is going to get interesting!

The Last Roundup

Written by Amy Keating Rogers

If there was one word I'd use to describe the episode, at least from the comedy standpoint, it'd be this; desperate. The plot is basically paper thin, so they had to shoehorn comedy to try and hide it, but it's hit or miss at best and utterly pointless at worst.

What happens is that Town Hall is undergoing repairs and so Applejack goes to a rodeo in Canterlot to earn the prize money to help repair it. She doesn't get a blue ribbon, much less prize money, and desperately tries to gain money to make up for it. It's a fairly relatable conflict for anyone to go through; when you don't live up to your peers' expectations, you're afraid of coming home and seeing many disappointed faces.

However, it's kind of hard to feel sympathy for Applejack when she rudely dismisses her friends' concerns to the point they chase her in the desert, making her border on childish just for failing them. Sure, it's a lesson that needed to be learned, and a good one to boot, but surely there were better ways to pull it off? But, for the most part, there's very little to talk about. It's so average it doesn't really matter in the long run.

Rating: Okay (5/10)

The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000

Written by M. A. Larson

Does the episode title really need to be that long?

I don't like it when characters get torment when they do nothing wrong in a specific episode. Case in point, Rainbow Dash. All she wanted throughout the episode was one mug of cider. She wasn't being a jerk about it, nor did she rub it in anyone's face. It almost feels like it wants to constantly kick her until the end when Pinkie finally gives her one.

Oh yeah, and speaking of which, it's yet another episode of Pinkie being an idiot. She basically makes Rainbow's desperation worse by rubbing in her face how much she enjoyed her own cider. Why does she need to buy multiple mugs when she could've simply given Rainbow one from the beginning? Yeah, she did at the end, but it just makes Pinkie look worse than she should be.

And this point is minor, but I'll mention it anyway; why do the Apple family not limit the number of cider mugs to one per pony?

Back to actual problems, there's the moral. I don't think it knows what it wants to be. That's a huge problem with Larson as a writer. For every good message he manages to churn out, there's another that he completely botches up. Is it supposed to be about not letting pride and greed overrule your mind, or quality control? The episode seems to point to the former, but the ending implies it's the latter that's the actual message, not to mention that Applejack seems to learn nothing from the experience.

A lot about this episode is just a confusing mess; for example, Flim and Flam use the apples from their enemies to make their own cider, which is technically Apple family cider. And why is Granny Smith excessively biased because the Flim Flam brothers' cider doesn't compare to Apple family cider? Heck, why did they never consider asking other Apple family members for extra help? Nothing makes sense here!

Most of the episodes I've revisited up to this point at least know what they're trying to tell, but I don't think this episode does. A lack of clear explanation completely kills the enjoyment out of the episode; it's more convoluted than The Parent Map - I'm not kidding. It's laughably bad.

Rating: Terrible (-2/10)

Read It and Weep

Written by Cindy Morrow

On the opposite end of things...!

If there was any episode I could point to as the most personal, it'd be this one for sure. Prior to season four airing, I didn't really care much for the show - didn't "hate" it per se, just disinterested. By the time I got to this episode, I felt I didn't give the show enough credit, but I still kept it mostly to myself in real life before opening up bit by bit, starting with my parents.

In this episode, Rainbow Dash went through the same thing I did, but not just with Daring Do, but books in general, and the message she learned was fantastic. That alone makes it my favorite of season two. Yeah, more so than Lesson Zero.

Rating: Excellent (10/10)

Hearts and Hooves Day

Written by Meghan McCarthy

Even before season five, it was really nice to get an episode focusing on the Crusaders that didn't involve them getting their cutie marks. Even nicer is that before season six, the Mane Six weren't involved, barring Twilight; not that I dislike them as characters, but it's nice to get the focus away from them once in a while. Yes, they made the show great, but there's more to the cast than just the six mares. And Spike.

An oddity here is that Scootaloo is all for Big Mac and Cheerilee being together, but before and after, she showed no interest in romance. And it's also rather disappointing that between this and Hard to Say Anything, we're never shown any direct interaction between them - except maybe her fainting by Big Mac's "singing" in Filli Vanilli. Small nitpicks aside, it's a really funny episode, especially the Crusaders' reactions to their mopey-dopey love talk.

Rating: Excellent (10/10)

A Friend in Deed

Written by Amy Keating Rogers

Ugh... what was I thinking when I first reviewed it five years ago? A good watch? Funny episode? 7/10?! I must've been a complete shithead when I said those things. Watching this episode with wide open eyes, A Friend in Deed is absolutely horrible! Not horrible in a cruel way like Fame and Misfortune or a "bored to death" way like The Mean 6. No, this episode horrible in a disturbing way.

The first quarter of the episode has little impact on the story. The scene with the Cake twins and the song could've been cut and nothing would change... except we wouldn't have figured out that Pinkie knew of Matilda living in Ponyville.

After the song - the sole highlight because of how fun it is - things quickly go downhill and then off  into a bottomless cliff. Pinkie constantly annoys Cranky Doodle Donkey to the point that you end up feeling more sympathetic towards him being harassed by the annoying pink menace than you do for Pinkie Putz wanting for him to be her friend.

It's not helped that she calls out to Ponyville about Cranky's baldness and everypony laughs at him for it. It's not funny because, again, it's all because of Pinkie Putz's stupidity! Does Ponyville have no equivalent to the police?

Then there's the ending which comes off as a slap in the face; Pinkie Putz reunites Cranky with Matilda and he thanks her for it and becomes her friend, despite that throughout the episode, she was an annoying stalker to him the entire day! I know the episode's message is supposed to be "the best thing about friendship is being able to make your friends smile" or whatever, but the message I got regarding Pinkie Putz's behavior was "you can make friends by stalking and annoying the crap out of them." That is a seriously messed up moral, especially for one concerning a show for little girls!

There are episodes that portray Pinkie in a positive light, but this is not one of them. She's been turned into an unlikable manchild to the point you want to slap her, the moral is terrible, and the happy ending feels completely unearned. I call it Pinkie Pie's worst starring role if you take every one of her other roles were she was either an annoying manchild or an intolerable idiot into consideration. It's earned the "honor" of being the worst episode of the second season, and the second worst episode of the entire show.

Rating: Atrocious (-10/10)

Putting Your Hoof Down

Written by Merriwether Williams
Story by Charlotte Fullerton

Round two. Ding ding.

You can tell a bad episode is coming when the cold open and first act take a dump on the lead character. All Fluttershy was doing was giving her animal friends their food, and how does Angel respond? By slapping her and later throwing her out just because the meal she made her was missing a cherry. You cannot get more petty than that.

Not only that, but Fluttershy is too much a doormat, even by this season's standards. In other episodes, she had more confidence than what the episode displayed (pre-Iron Will, at least), but when she becomes assertive, they went too far that direction by making her an outright bully. It even gets to the point she insults Pinkie and Rarity making them cry!

Come to think of it, a lot of this episode feels contrived. Heck, in the previous episode, as awful as it was, showed everyone in Ponyville is happy and cheerful with each other. Here? They're jerks for the sake of being jerks. It's almost like everyone got hit with the same switch for this conflict to happen.

The episode tries to salvage things by putting the blame on Iron Will, as if he was responsible for everyone in Ponyville for being scared of Fluttershy. Sure, she might've been influenced by him, but Fluttershy was clearly doing things of her volition! Suppose you're a drunk driver and crashed; what do you blame? The alcohol you drank, or yourself for being irresponsible? If you guessed that it was "yourself for being irresponsible", you win a prize. A digital cupcake.

Also, how does Fluttershy's cottage go from being comfy to live in to outright decrepit within hours? It's not funny in the slightest given what Fluttershy had been through.

It's easy to see why this episode is so hated; the cruelty towards Fluttershy, and then her subsequent bullying to Pinkie and Rarity (if there was any episode where Pinkie should be sympathetic, it shouldn't be here), Angel being the biggest jerkass out of everyone in Ponyville, the botched message - you're not responsible for your actions; the toxic influence is. This episode stinks to high heaven.

Rating: Terrible (-2/10)

My Little Pony Revisited: Season 2, Episodes 8-13

Season two continues with... a rather interesting set of episodes.

The Mysterious Mare Do Well

Written by Merriwether Williams

Well, well. We meet at last... One of the most infamous episodes of the entire series, but is it really that horrendous? That is what I'm about to find out!

The message they seem to be going for here is that you shouldn't brag about your achievements. That's fine and all, but the way they execute it is just sloppy, and not to mention make Ponyville look like a dangerous place to live in. At least in the first half.

Come to think of it, it's not really explained at all if all the incidents are taking place over a single day or several weeks. The latter can be excused to an extent, but the former, again, makes everypony living there look reckless.

And speaking of the lack of transitions, how is it that everypony just goes from cheering Rainbow Dash to the Mare Do Well? I didn't add "Mysterious" to her title since... well, she wasn't that big of a mystery to begin with, even on first viewing. The Mane Six are clearly shown to be annoyed by her bragging and talking positively about the Mare Do Well spoils that they're all her - well, four of them, at least; Rarity designed the outfits.

On top of that, the way they show up someone who's supposed to be the Element of Loyalty just makes them look like jerks (I'm sensing a theme this season). I get the episode wants to teach Rainbow a lesson in humility, but why not try and reason with her directly? You end up feeling more sympathetic towards her than annoyed... depending on whether or not you're a fan of her.

I wouldn't say it's the worst episode ever made, but it's still fatally flawed. If you ignore the problems, it's very boring and repetitive, containing a lot of filler moments. Long and short, just skip it.

Rating: Terrible (0/10)

Sweet and Elite

Written by Meghan McCarthy

Story wise, it doesn't leave me with much to talk about; Rarity is about to make a dress for Twilight's birthday, but she gets sidetracked and ends up hanging out with the Canterlot elite instead. Is this out of character for her, even in season two? The answer is no. She's expressed interest about being up there in the past, and I can understand Rarity not wanting to make herself look foolish in front of them. But it's only when the Mane Six unintentionally cause havoc at the garden party that she admits to knowing them.

I do wish I had more to say, but the episode on whole is nice. It's good to know there are high class ponies (Fancy Pants) who don't treat the average everypony like dirt, it's nice to see an episode that doesn't take place in Ponyville, and the moral was a useful one for kids to learn.

Rating: Good (8/10)

Secret of My Excess

Written by M. A. Larson

If any episode could be pointed to the beginning of developing Spike as a character, this would be a candidate for sure. Him giving a Fire Ruby to Rarity is one of the sweetest things he's ever done, and it's funny how he takes advantage of getting gifts on his birthday - too many for one, in fact - and ends up becoming Spikezilla. Give M. A. Larson a simple plot, and he'll be able to do it justice.

However, this has nothing to do with this episode, but why is it that the writers don't develop Spike and Rarity's relationship beyond a one-sided crush? Seven years down the road, when we got to Best Gift Ever, it just feels like it's become an afterthought. I know that they give Spike more to work with than his crush and being a butt monkey in later episodes, but if you're not going to develop on that trait, then what's the point of keeping it?

Rating: Excellent (9/10)

Hearth's Warming Eve

Written by Merriwether Williams

One has to wonder how Fluttershy was able to make the performance without even losing her cool completely. Apart from that small issue, it's nice to explore some of Equestria's lore and how the three pony tribes learned that hatred and fear solves nothing. Have I mentioned that I'm a bit of a sucker for lore and history?

Rating: Excellent (9/10)

Family Appreciation Day

Written by Cindy Morrow

Fun fact; this was actually the eleventh episode of the season in production order, but the twelfth to air. But since Hearth's Warming Eve is a Christmas-themed episode, it's justified.

The plight Apple Bloom goes through is admittedly something I can relate to. In my youth, I did get extremely embarrassed whenever my parents came to school, and it didn't help that it was during a phase in my life that I had little self-confidence and terrible social skills. I eventually managed to get over the embarrassment of my parents coming with me, and my social skills in real life have been improving, but I'm still prone to shyness around girls...

Granny Smith is such a fun character; yeah, she was introduced in the series premiere, but didn't really do anything that could be considered significant until this episode. I don't know if everyone else feels the same, but she's very much the Ponyville equivalent to Dowager Hatt. Just look at the scene where she's treating the jars as if they were soldiers; priceless!

But despite her kookiness (as Diamond Tiara rudely puts it), she's still smart for a pony of her age, especially with how her discovery of the Zap-Apples led to Ponyville's founding, and the rest is more or less history. Though I'd like to know who she married in order to have Bright Mac...

Story-wise, this is the fourth in a row that doesn't give me much to talk about, except that it's very satisfying to see Diamond Tiara get her punishment for mocking Granny Smith, as well as seeing Silver Spoon be the first to applaud the elder pony's story. It's a shame that Silver hasn't been given enough screentime to show what she's like without Diamond Tiara, and with the show ending soon, it doesn't look like we'll ever know...

Rating: Excellent (10/10)

Baby Cakes

Written by Charlotte Fullerton

After the gradual improvements following The Mysterious Mare Do Well, this one was a step down, to say the least. It's rather easy to hate an episode like this, especially if you don't like the sound of babies crying. I'll admit it did get a bit annoying for me in this episode, but in real life, I've sort of gotten used to it. Doesn't mean I like it, however.

The message the episode conveys here is that taking care of children, especially babies, is a huge responsibility. It did feel hammered in at points, but it's still a good lesson to teach. However, I feel Thomas the Babysitter did this plot better since... well, that brings me onto the problems I have with Baby Cakes.

The first issue is how obvious it was to Mr. and Mrs. Cake that Pinkie was the only one out of the Mane Six who was willing to look after the twins. I can understand their reluctance, given Pinkie's behavior, but A) it seems odd that the others couldn't spare a few hours to care for them, and B) following from the previous point it makes the interactions with the rest of the Mane Six pointless in the long run.

The second problem, the biggest of them, is how repetitive the antics between Pinkie and the babies get during the second and third acts. She tries to amuse them, they cry instead, she covers herself in flour, they giggle, rinse and repeat. Only in the third act, she chases them down when Pound flies and Pumpkin uses her magic and breaks down crying in frustration.

The last issue is minor, but I'll mention it anyway; Pinkie basically wasted good flour the Cakes could have used for their sweets, and flour isn't cheap.

Back to the point with Thomas the Babysitter, the season 19 episode had better pacing within the shorter timeframe it had; as Thomas' journey progressed, he quickly figured out what the solution was to stop the baby from crying so much, and even used his break time to try and help the baby lull off to sleep. The 22-minute timeframe that Baby Cakes had to work with didn't really do that episode justice all that much.

So yeah, overall, this episode is average, but it could still be great with a shorter timeframe.

Rating: Okay (6/10)

My Little Pony Revisited: Season 2, Episodes 1-7

We've finished up the first season of the show, so now it's onto the second season, which many fans claim to be the best of the show. Does it really hold up as well as it did then?

The Return of Harmony

Written by M. A. Larson

When I did first review the episode, I thought it was good, but nothing special. Rewatching it, however, I thought for a premiere, it deserved more. Though there are a couple of sticking points I want to get out of the way.

The first is that the Crusaders come off as interchangeably mean-spirited to one another in the cold open. Yeah, it sets up the main story, but they were never this petty with one another before or since, making it feel jarring.

The second is less a writing problem and more a placement problem; The Return of Harmony does not really feel like a premiere at all. If anything, it should've been season one's finale instead of The Best Night Ever which, as I said, felt like a generic episode. By the time season one had come to a close, you've very much grown to like the Mane Six as characters and got to know them well. That way, when Twilight loses faith, it should've left a bigger impact than it did, but because it was made the premiere, it hurt the tension by quite a lot. Again, that's not Larson's fault since he doesn't have any control over what airs when (Fame and Misfortune was a season five script that ended up two seasons too late, for example).

Anyway, the episode on its own merits is fun to watch and shows how, even then, what the animators were capable of. I don't bring that up since it's usually a standard at this point, but still. Key points go to how the Mane Six first dealt with the unusual weather and how, through Discord's manipulation, they end up losing their color. It's certainly is, and always will be, far better than how The Mean 6 handled an anti-Mane Six.

Speaking of whom, yes, it's Discord alright. He's a far more entertaining antagonist than Nightmare Moon was because you can see what he's truly capable of, and the hell that the Mane Six are put through show that he isn't to be messed with. Seriously, Rarity being obsessed over a rock called Tom is just ridiculous, but it works so well. Meanwhile, the worst Nightmare Moon did was capture Celestia and make it dark out of pettiness. Discord doesn't really need a motivation; chaos is his one and only goal. Also, is it just me, or did I make some comparisons to Heath Ledger's Joker?

It's also rather funny and ironic how Fluttershy is the first of the Mane Six to befriend Discord in future episodes, and yet was initially scared of him, was the trickiest for him to manipulate, and even called him a big dumb meanie.

Discord's defeat is a bit on the anti-climactic side. He doesn't really make an attempt to fight back. He just stands there screaming whilst he's turned to stone. Then again, it might be considering that A) he believed the Elements wouldn't work against him after their first failed attempt, and B) he was overconfident that he'd be alright, so maybe that can be excused. And that's not even mentioning how deserved his defeat was.

Nitpicking aside, I feel I understated this episode. It's one of the show's most important, and gives us one of the show's most memorable antagonists to date. It even helps that they brought in John de Lancie along to be his voice actor. If Discord is left out of the reboot, I wouldn't mind too much; there's no way another actor can try and match de Lancie's performance.

Rating: Excellent (9/10)

Lesson Zero

Written by Meghan McCarthy

So now we come to an episode that, at one point, I called the best of the show. I'll admit that statement has aged since - mostly due to lots of future episodes being great - but I still think the episode holds up.

Whether it be Twilight freaking out about being late for Princess Celestia and her paranoia about being sent away (it's foreshadowed by her excessively removing the frosting from the batch of cupcakes Mrs. Cake make for their picnic), and of course, Rarity's "worst possible thing" line, the episode never stumbles with its humor. I mean, seriously; Big Macintosh with a doll - where have we seen that before?

But the episode shines through with its double message; don't freak out over little things, and be more sensitive to other peoples' feelings. The rest of the Mane Six learn the latter message, and Twilight the former message. Both of which are very important to learn.

It's also nice that this episode would result in the writers being given more creative freedom in who can focus on, especially after season one was basically Twilight spam. The episode overall is funny, has a great lesson, and is deservedly one of the show's best. You really can't ask for more.

Rating: Excellent (10/10)

Luna Eclipsed

Written by M. A. Larson

Remember in my revisit of The Cutie Mark Chronicles in which I laser-focused on one issue and how it brought the episode as a whole down? Consider this round two; I know what the intention is meant to be, but it's the execution that comes first, and the way it presented the episode is just mean-spirited.

For starters, how is it that Pinkie, Fluttershy and Applejack forgot that they were present when Luna returned to normal? Hell, why is everypony except Twilight afraid of her? I know this doesn't affect the main plot (no, I'm not commenting on the redesign issue), but you'd think they'd at least have the common sense to know she wasn't a threat to anypony anymore. Even if it was on Nightmare Night, it doesn't work any way it's sliced.

Then there's Pinkie. She is utterly annoying and unlikable here, almost to the point of being a bully to Luna. All the princess wanted to do was have fun on Nightmare Night, and she didn't do anything to deserve this cruel treatment! And that's before we get to this line of dialogue:

"Sometimes, it's just really fun to be scared!" - Pinkie Pie, 10/22/2011

This is not Pinkie emphasizing the fun of being scared. This is her excusing her cruel treatment towards Luna! In fact, it's probably the episode where her idiotic nature stems from, and this would eventually lead up to "classics" like Secrets and Pies and Yakity-Sax, eventually morphing her into Equestria's equivalent to Peter Griffin. And believe me when I say this is not the only time in season two that she acts like this.

Back to the episode, and Rainbow Dash doesn't serve much of a point beyond scaring others for personal amusement. Sure, she got her comeuppance for her pranks, but that should've been directed at Pinkie Prick for upsetting Luna! (And, by extension, for causing her outburst to begin with.)

I hate this episode, and it showed me a few things:

1. Not every character is destined to get lead roles (worse was to come for Luna).
2. Halloween-centric episodes are poorly handled in My Little Pony.
3. This is a bad rip-off to SpongeBob's Scaredy Pants, which did this plot way better, and in half the runtime.

At least Twilight was true to her character here.

Rating: Terrible (-3/10)

Sisterhooves Social

Written by Cindy Morrow

This is the first episode of the series that we see the relationship between Rarity and Sweetie Belle; the younger sister is a bit reckless but is willing to do anything to please her older sister, but she keeps getting on her nerves without meaning to. Meanwhile, Rarity is rather fussy about things being perfect, and it can be hard to watch for some people (especially if they have siblings) when they get into a fight. And it's especially heartbreaking when Rarity comes to realize through her little sister's arts and crafts project that she messed up and wants to put things right.

There isn't much to say, but this is one of season two's best episodes with its funny moments, heartwarming bits, and a fantastic message to top things off. I can't do a full review to do it justice; just see for yourself!

Rating: Excellent (10/10)

The Cutie Pox

Written by Amy Keating Rogers

Even less to say about this one. All that happens is that Apple Bloom gets desperate in getting a cutie mark and ends up getting multiple cutie marks with some gags along the way. That's pretty much it. Apart from a few funny moments like Rainbow Dash's cloud being cut into a circle, there's nothing to talk about story wise. Even the theme about patience doesn't really give the episode much weight. It's kind of sluggish to sit through.

Rating: Okay (4/10)

May the Best Pet Win!

Written by Charlotte Fullerton

I like the concept this episode has about Rainbow Dash wanting to get her own pet; she has specific requirements about what she wants, but the pet she gets isn't what she wanted but still keeps him anyway. What makes the episode fall flat, however, is that as soon as Tank enters the picture, it does become obvious that he's gonna end up living with Rainbow. Not helping is his constant presence in all of the competitions that border either on cruelty or ridiculous, depending on your love for animals.

Don't get me wrong, stories based on the "tortoise vs. hare" fable can work, but the hare loses because of its overconfidence about beating a tortoise and losing because it fell asleep in the middle of the race. Sure, they do something similar with Rainbow constantly putting the tortoise (not yet named) down and commenting that he doesn't have a chance, but there's not really any tension or doubt that he ends up being her pet.

Some things I liked were Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy's dynamic, especially with the latter helping the former in finding a pet through a song, which was great, despite, you know, killing the tension. And the opening sequence with Dash and the Mane Six's pets being one creature was kind of fun. Disturbing? Sure, but it drives home the point she's sort of left out until the end. Though something that was rather off was Fluttershy showing apathy to the animals being put through dangerous stunts. Why didn't she call it off before Rainbow put anyone into harm?

This one was difficult to re-rate, but thinking about it more, I decided that for a cornerstone episode, it's underwhelming. Not as bad as The Cutie Mark Chronicles, but the outcome is still obvious and the tension non-existent. There are funny moments and the song, again, is great, though there's only so far they can take a story with an obvious ending.

Rating: Bad (2/10)

My Little Pony Revisited: Season 1, Episodes 20-26

We're now on the home stretch for season one; can it end with a bang, or a whimper?

Green Isn't Your Color

Written by Meghan McCarthy

The dynamic between Rarity and Fluttershy is rarely touched upon in the series - the only other time I can think of is Fake It 'Til You Make It - so seeing them together is a nice breath of fresh air. It works out in the episode that Rarity wants her friend to be a success, but Fluttershy is afraid of disappointing her. It's simple, but effective. You feel sympathetic for Rarity when she doesn't get to work with Photo Finish, and for Fluttershy over the pressure surrounding her fame. It stills works out in the end when they're honest about their secrets.

However, it does feel weaker than Meghan's previous efforts. For one thing, Spike's crush on Rarity is a pointless subplot that goes nowhere in the episode, though him showing no pain with the pins on his back is funny, except maybe for Twilight blurting out that he has a crush on Rarity.

Speaking of whom, why doesn't Twilight act like an in-between for Rarity and Fluttershy rather than listening to Pinkie's advice? Come to think of it, Pinkie barely had much of a point in the episode to begin with, so why is she constantly stalking Twilight just because of a promise? Doesn't she have better things to do? I mean, she's later seen at Sugarcube Corner making cupcakes, so what's the point?

The last issue is minor, but I'll mention it regardless? How is it that Bon Bon and her friend (that isn't Lyra) not know who Rarity was? She's the bearer of the Element of Generosity, for goodness' sake! But despite the problems with the pacing (which kinda feel like they're there to fill time), this is an episode you might want to check out.

Rating: Good (8/10)

Over a Barrel

Written by Dave Polsky

Well, Dave Polsky's back again with more controversy. Unlike Feeling Pinkie Keen, I'm not going to delve into the problems in full detail out of risk for backlash, so instead, I'll review the episode on its own merits.

Even for the first season of the show, it's rather odd that a train would be pulled by a group of stallions instead of driving in the cab. I'm surprised they managed to get it to stop without getting themselves hurt! I will say, however, that it's funny that Applejack treats Bloomberg the tree like a baby moments after telling Rarity otherwise. What's not so funny - at least, right now - is Fluttershy wanting to become a tree, especially if you consider what almost happened to her six seasons down the road.

The message is a powerful one, even now, about being rational and reasonable with one another, and looking at both sides. The settlers of Appleloosa need to use land in order to survive, but the buffalo need it because it's sacred stampede ground. It's a gray area, something which was a nice touch. Even nicer is that Rainbow Dash was caring for the buffalo tribe's needs, unlike future episodes where either she was a cruel bully (28 Pranks Later) or an incompetent idiot putting others' lives at risk (Non-Compete Clause).

That being said, Pinkie does make things worse by reprising her sharing song that triggers the fight... which is actually way funnier and over-the-top than it should be, leading to a compromise from both parties. On the whole, good episode and a good watch.

Rating: Good (8/10)

A Bird in the Hoof

Written by Charlotte Fullerton

So this episode was basically 22 minutes of Fluttershy trying to care for a sick bird... and not much else. The only other things of note are Rainbow Dash trying to get a guard to laugh which eventually gets a payoff at the end with Philomena tickling their noses, and Celestia gaining a bit of a cheeky side by tricking Mr. Cake into pouring tea into her cup. Though the latter has nothing to do with the episode itself, it is actually rather amusing.

But other than that, the episode's full of nothing. I could watch this episode ten times over and still find nothing worth noting.

Rating: Bad (1/10)

The Cutie Mark Chronicles

Written by M. A. Larson

Oh, I'm not gonna make many friends with this one...!

Alright, before everyone goes after me with death threats, I want to say that I get why people would like this episode. It shows how the Mane Six got their cutie marks, and I respect that people like that. But this episode just rubs me the wrong way.

The first problem is the story... if there was any to begin with. In fact, the moment the Crusaders ask Applejack as to how she got her cutie mark, the story comes to a grinding halt, meaning that instead of going straight to Rainbow Dash, we (and the Crusaders) are forced to see the Mane Six's cutie mark stories. Absolutely, they're meant to be cute, but there's an even bigger problem...

Fluttershy's flashback is the only one to involve Rainbow Dash directly, and that means you figure out how the Mane Six ended up getting their cutie marks before they and the Crusaders do, so any attempt at tension is dead. This isn't helped that by then, Sonic Rainboom had aired, and even if you didn't watch the episode beforehand, the outcome is still obvious.

The Crusaders feel like they drew the short end of the stick; they don't really feel like characters at all and come off as one-note plot devices. Heck, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle feel practically interchangeable with each other, with only Scootaloo having any personality to draw from. But even then, she doesn't feel interesting.

The ending is a complete anticlimax. Yes, I know it's meant to be heartwarming, but it instead comes of as patronizing and a slap in the face, as if it's treating the audience like they're stupid. And again, we already knew they got their cutie marks because of Rainbow Dash! If you're going to write an origin story, don't make the outcome obvious! I think airing this episode that far into the season really brings it down as a whole. If it had aired far earlier, and with Sonic Rainboom being given a few tweaks, then this could've been okay.

Something my friend Mike brought up is that in the aforementioned Sonic Rainboom, Rainbow Dash said she can't do one, even though we saw her do one in this episode! Either A) this is a plot hole, B) Rainbow Dash forgot despite it being the reason she got her cutie mark, or C) she was lying. It almost feels as if Larson couldn't hold continuity between the episodes.

So yeah. I'm sorry, but I don't like this episode at all. The outcome is painfully obvious, the story non-existent, and it almost feels as if it was written as an afterthought when it came to giving the main cast a backstory.

At least the Mane Six look cute as fillies.

Rating: Terrible (0/10)

Owl's Well That Ends Well

Written by Cindy Morrow

Yet another of season one's more controversial episodes, and one that most people dislike? If you were to ask me, though? I thought it was alright, and compared to the last episode where the story felt like an afterthought, here, there's a complete story taking place.

The conflict Spike goes through is relatable; he takes pride in being Twilight's number one assistant, and at the start, it's clear he appreciates the attention the Mane Six give him. But when Owlicious comes into the picture by helping Twilight with a wayward scroll, Spike feels threatened and believes Twilight doesn't love him anymore. But how is it that the Mane Six suddenly swoon over him? Sure, it's brief and it's sort of an allegory for a newborn baby, but it feels jarring and apart from fueling Spike's jealousy, adds nothing to the story.

That being said, Spike did come off a bit petty in trying to make Owlicious bad. Don't get me wrong; he did have a reason for it, but I seriously doubt a child would resort to this extreme to make their baby sibling look bad in front of the parents. Still, it at least adds up to the moral pretty well; don't be selfish or let jealousy rule over common sense.

So, is it really one of season one's worst? I don't think so. There are issues like Twilight not taking notice of Spike overreacting (though she does apologize for it, but still) and Spike getting showered with praise coming off as a bit forced, but it's far from unwatchable and Spike and Owlicious do have good moments together in future episodes. That said, this isn't one of those episodes I'd rewatch that often, except maybe for some humorous moments.

Rating: Okay (6/10)

Party of One

Written by Meghan McCarthy

So now we've reached the penultimate episode of the season, and said by many to be one of the show's funniest episodes. You get that feeling straight away with Pinkie's telegram song, especially as she gets exhausted towards the end. It becomes something of a brick joke when she sends written invitations for Gummy's after-birthday party. Which becomes something of a brick joke when the Mane Six celebrate it as well at the end.

I don't talk about animation or voice acting anymore because they're a standard in the medium by now, but here is where they're at their best. Whether it be the expressions made by Pinkie when she slowly loses it at her "party", her disguises like the haystack in a coat and glasses, or the Mane Six when coming up with excuses to avoid the after-birthday party - especially Applejack's, who's known to be a bad liar - the animation shines through with every scene.

And remember when I said that My Little Pony: The Movie was Andrea Libman's best performance as Pinkie? Well, this is her second best at the fake party scene; she must've had a lot of fun with Pinkie coming up with all of those voices for her "new friends"! Disturbing, yet funny all at once. And who doesn't enjoy the moment she interrogated Spike and he comes up with confessions she didn't ask for?

This is yet another of season one's best episodes. The humor shines throughout, the visuals are some of the funniest of the show, it's overall a great episode.

Rating: Excellent (10/10)

The Best Night Ever

Written by Amy Keating Rogers

So this season's been something of a mixed bag up to this point, but can the finale end things on a high note? Well... not really. But it's not a bad episode either. It felt less like a grand finale and more like a generic, run of the mill mid-season episode.

The premise is very simple - each of the Mane Six is hoping for an amazing night; Twilight to spend time with Princess Celestia, Fluttershy to meet with the animals, Applejack to sell some of her apple treats, Rarity to fall for Prince Blueblood, Rainbow Dash to hang out with the Wonderbolts, and Pinkie to have fun. Twilight's the only one to get her dream... sort of, but the others (excluding Rarity) resort to extreme measures to get what they hoped for, but it all lands in disaster.

The song at the end of the first act does a good job in showing off their excitement in going to the Gala, and one of the show's best songs. The other two are both fun yet random, especially given that it's Pinkie Pie we're talking about.

I really felt sorry for Rarity there. She wanted to be with the prince of her dreams, but he turned out to be a royal prick and treated her like garbage the whole night. The final straw is when he uses her as a shield to protect himself from Applejack's cake, and in a fury, Rarity covers Blueblood with it in retaliation. That makes it all the more satisfying to see him get punished for treating a lady in a not-so-gentleman-like manner. So there's two morals to take from it, one's in general, and the other based off of Rarity's experience:

1. Don't hold high expectations, thinking everything will turn out great in the end. (Something the Thomas fandom should take notice of!)
2. Never get your hopes up when you meet someone who admire.

Overall, it's not one of season one's strongest episodes, but there isn't much to hate either. It's on the anti-climactic side, to say the least, but the humorous moments, characterization and themes salvage things here, and that's about all that matters here.

Rating: Good (7/10)

Final Season Ranking: Okay (6/10)