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?
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.
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.
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.
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?).
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:
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.
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:
- The rest of the Mane Six had never met Cadance before, so they wouldn't have known what she was like.
- Twilight didn't have any solid evidence with her (physically, at least), and she was very much on her own.
- 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.
- We're seeing things from Twilight's point of view only; no one else's.
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)
Final Season Ranking: Okay (4/10)
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