Seasons 17-21: How the Episodes Should Be Distributed

In the previous post, I criticized Universal for their poor strategies on distributing Thomas content. After speaking with a few on DeviantArt, I thought, "How would I have distributed the episodes?" So, I came up with nineteen new(ish) DVDs focusing solely on seasons 17-21 with their own criteria:

1. All episodes of a season must be released within one year, so there will be no mixing between seasons.
2. There must be a roughly equal number of episodes among the DVDs - generally six or seven.
3. The episodic DVDs must come out at similar times in both the US and the UK, akin to the yearly specials (and yes, The Adventure Begins also gets this treatment).

That being said, let's get onto how I can fix the DVDs!

SEASON 17 (2013-2014)

Volume 1: Railway Mischief

1. Gordon Runs Dry
2. Kevin's Cranky Friend
3. Scruff's Makeover
4. Wayward Winston
5. Steamie Stafford
6. Henry's Hero
7. Not Now, Charlie!

As a minor spoiler for this blog post, most, if not all, of the DVDs are based upon the UK DVD listings with some editing here and there. My edited Railway Mischief follows the original US listing, only to be followed up by Henry's Hero and Not Now, Charlie! (akin to the UK release). I didn't include Bill or Ben? because I wanted to focus on the first two weeks of season 17, which would air later in June.

Volume 2: Santa's Little Engine

1. Santa's Little Engine
2. No Snow for Thomas
3. The Frozen Turntable
4. The Missing Christmas Decorations
5. Too Many Fire Engines
6. The Phantom Express

The UK release included three bonus episodes which ended up on Engines to the Rescue in the US. I've already included Henry's Hero on Railway Mischief, so Santa's Little Engine gets two bonus non-winter themed episodes.

Volume 3: The Thomas Way

1. The Thomas Way
2. The Switch
3. Percy's Lucky Day
4. Calm Down Caitlin
5. The Lost Puff
6. Luke's New Friend
7. Bill or Ben?

Luke's New Friend was a bonus episode for the US release, so I reinstated it as part of the episode listing. Bill or Ben?, the last remaining non-DVD exclusive season 17 episode, is tacked on at the end.

Volume 4: Spills and Thrills

1. Away From the Sea
2. The Smelly Kipper
3. No More Mr. Nice Engine
4. Gone Fishing
5. Thomas' Shortcut
6. The Afternoon Tea Express

This previously DVD-exclusive has six episodes, so I don't change anything. This will also apply to Dinos and Discoveries and Start Your Engines!.

SEASON 18 (2014-2015)

Volume 5: Trouble on the Tracks

1. Thomas the Quarry Engine
2. Not So Slow Coaches
3. Flatbeds of Fear
4. Disappearing Diesels
5. Toad's Adventure
6. Duck and the Slip Coaches
7. Old Reliable Edward

Based on the UK release; it ends with Missing Gator. I replace that instead with Old Reliable Edward to, again, focus on the first two weeks of season 18, and to avoid major spoilers for Tale of the Brave (though Reg does make a small appearance in Disappearing Diesels, but I digress).

Volume 6: The Christmas Engines

1. Last Train for Christmas
2. Long Lost Friend
3. Duncan the Humbug
4. Duck in the Water
5. The Perfect Gift
6. Toad's Bright Idea

Toad's Bright Idea is tacked onto the end of the original episode listing. I considered putting Missing Gator there, but I thought it'd be weird to see that and Long Lost Friend out of order, so I instead place it on the next DVD.

Volume 7: Signals Crossed

1. Signals Crossed
2. Marion and the Pipe
3. Duncan and the Grumpy Passenger
4. No Steam Without Coal
5. Thomas and the Emergency Cable
6. Spencer's VIP
7. Missing Gator

Based on the UK episode listing, only with Missing Gator in place of Toad's Bright Idea.

Volume 8: Dinos and Discoveries

1. Marion and the Dinosaurs
2. Millie and the Volcano
3. Timothy and the Rainbow Truck/Car
4. Samson at Your Service
5. Emily Saves the World
6. Samson Sent for Scrap

SEASON 19 (2015-2016)

Volume 9: Whale of a Tale

1. Toad and the Whale
2. Who's Geoffrey?
3. The Truth About Toby
4. Lost Property
5. Henry Spots Trouble
6. Salty All At Sea
7. Wild Water Rescue

The UK episode listing with Wild Water Rescue tacked on at the end; why that episode ended up with five season 16 episodes, I'll never know.

Volume 10: Thomas' Christmas Carol

1. Diesel's Ghostly Christmas
2. Snow Place Like Home
3. A Cranky Christmas
4. The Beast of Sodor
5. Helping Hiro

Diesel's Ghostly Christmas is one whole episode, per the US release. The UK release includes three season 20 winter episodes (those that don't feature Glynn). I instead include Helping Hiro in their place, an episode that's never been on a US DVD.

Ignore the yellow banner on top...

Volume 11: Full Steam to the Rescue!

1. Rocky Rescue
2. Very Important Sheep
3. The Other Side of the Mountain
4. Den and Dart
5. Goodbye Fat Controller/Sir Topham Hatt
6. No Help At All
7. Thomas the Babysitter

Five of the season 19 episodes appeared in a different order on the US DVD Ultimate Friendship Adventures, so I chose to stick with the UK episode listing instead, with Very Important Sheep in place of Wild Water Rescue and Den and Dart as the fourth episode.

Volume 12: Start Your Engines!

1. Two Wheels Good
2. Reds vs. Blues
3. Slow Stephen
4. The Little Engine Who Raced Ahead
5. Best Engine Ever
6. Philip to the Rescue

SEASON 20 (2016-2017)

7 Engine-Packed Episodes!

Volume 13: Ultimate Friendship Adventures

1. Henry Gets the Express
2. Toby's New Friend
3. Sidney Sings
4. Diesel and the Ducklings
5. Ryan and Daisy
6. Bradford the Brake Van
7. Saving Time

The episode listing is based upon the one from Tales from the Rails, minus the season 19 episodes and with Ryan and Daisy included as the fifth episode of the set. Interestingly enough, this covers the first seven episodes of season 20!

Volume 14: Tinsel on the Tracks

1. Letters to Santa
2. The Christmas Coffeepot
3. The Railcar and the Coaches
4. Over the Hill
5. Love Me Tender
6. Blown Away
7. Pouty James

All the winter episodes from season 20 are together as they should be, with the inclusion of Blown Away and Pouty James to have seven episodes.

Volume 15: Team Up with Thomas

1. Buckled Tracks and Bumpy Trucks/Cars
2. Mucking About
3. The Way She Does It
4. Mike's Whistle
5. Cautious Connor
6. All in Vain
7. Useful Railway

Three episodes have been scattered away onto other DVDs; The Way She Does It moves up as the third episode with Mike's Whistle and Useful Railway in the correct order as per the original Railway Series book. Cautious Connor and All in Vain are included between the two episodes to round out the set.

Volume 16: Extraordinary Engines

1. Engine of the Future
2. Henry in the Dark
3. The Missing Breakdown Train
4. Hugo and the Airship
5. Three Steam Engines Gruff
6. Skiff and the Mermaid
7. Tit for Tat

Unlike Spills and Thrills, Dinos and Discoveries, and Start Your Engines!, Extraordinary Engines has one extra episode - Tit for Tat - to match the other three season 20 DVDs at seven episodes each. It seems strange that it's separate from the other two Arlesdale episodes, but since it happened on the official Team Up with Thomas, it's only fair. Not only does this give Andrew Brenner one strong episode on the DVD, it also ends on a very high note.

SEASON 21 (2017-2018)

Volume 17: Danger at the Docks

1. Cranky at the End of the Line
2. New Crane on the Dock
3. Stuck in Gear
4. Springtime for Diesel
5. A Most Singular Engine
6. Philip's Number

Something I forgot to mention is that Ultimate Friendship Adventures is pushed forward as a teaser DVD for season 20. The same thing happens to Danger at the Docks. Here, I removed Den and Dart to focus solely on season 21 episodes, and Springtime for Diesel and A Most Singular Engine are swapped around. For the most part, it's unedited from the official release.

Includes 6 Episodes!

Volume 18: Christmas on Sodor

1. Terence Breaks the Ice
2. Daisy's Perfect Christmas
3. Confused Coaches
4. Emily in the Middle
5. The Big Freeze
6. Hasty Hannah

The season 20 episodes are replaced with Hasty Hannah so each season 21 DVD has six episodes each.

Volume 19: On the Go with Thomas

1. The Fastest Red Engine on Sodor
2. A Shed for Edward
3. Dowager Hatt's Busy Day
4. Runaway Engine
5. P.A. Problems
6. Unscheduled Stops

Besides the removal of Hasty Hannah, the episode listing is the same as the official release.

With all these changes made, hopefully I've gotten right what Mattel and Universal have so far gotten wrong. Not only are the episodes distributed more evenly, it gives us, as fans, more to look forward to when it comes to content. But how would you distribute the episodes? I'd love to see what you can come up with; your results may vary!

Thomas' Halloween Adventures (2018 Re-Release)

This was a little announcement that made its way on Sodor Island Forums some days ago, and it's something which has been bothering me since I first heard about it. So now I get to talk about it in full.

Thomas and Friends is no stranger to DVD re-releases. Many of them have been re-releases of the older VHS tapes from the 1990s, and most have been given upgrades to their cover artwork to try and freshen up the release. My personal favorite style is the one from the late 1990s/early 2000s with the colored border and a character (sometimes two) overlooking a scene from one of the episodes (Cranky Bugs, the re-release of Thomas Comes to Breakfast, etc.).

Which brings me onto the 2018 re-release of Thomas' Halloween Adventures. There are two issues I have with the re-release.

The first issue is that the cover above is a glow-in-the-dark outline of Thomas in CGI form for a model era DVD. I know some parents and kids don't have the best perceptions of the model era, much less The Railway Series, but I can already tell this will blow up in Universal's face because this is practically false advertising on their part.

Speaking of Universal, that brings me onto my next issue; they'd rather reissue older content than bring the American audience newer content from seasons 20 and 21. At this point, the American audience is missing out on Spencer's VIP and Toad's Bright Idea from season 18, Helping Hiro from season 19, nine episodes from season 20 (Bradford the Brakevan, Ryan and Daisy, Pouty James, Blown Away, The Way She Does It, Mucking About, Buckled Tracks and Bumpy Trucks, Mike's Whistle, and Useful Railway), and all the non-winter themed episodes of season 21. That's about three DVDs' worth of episodes!

In America, it's pretty obvious that DVDs are being made obsolete by online streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon and Hulu - the most recent episodic American DVDs with were Extraordinary Engines and Christmas on Sodor (I don't count Thomas' Holiday Collection because it's a compilation) - and with Big World! Big Adventures! coming to the aforementioned sites (and quite possibly a few more), it looks as though the days of buying Thomas DVDs at a department store are becoming numbered.

What makes it even more frustrating is that the season 20 and 21 episodes not released on American DVDs are stuck in the UK on Tales from the Rails, Team Up with Thomas (the 2017 version), Danger at the Docks, and On the Go with Thomas. I remember when people were frustrated that America got the episodes out on DVD first before the UK did, and right now the opposite situation is happening.

Getting back to the re-release of Thomas' Halloween Adventures; what is even the point of a re-release for DVD? If you have an Amazon Prime account, you can simply watch the episodes featured on the DVD in the form of the complete series 1-7. Hell, you can even watch seasons 16-20 there as well (though some episodes from 17, 19, and 20 are missing, and the Dinos and Discoveries episodes are part of 19 for whatever reason)! There is seriously no excuse for Universal to not bother with the season 20 and 21 episodes awaiting an American DVD release.

The bottom line is, this is another prime example of the distributors making stupid decisions for the franchise they supposedly hold copyright towards. Sure, you can get seasons 19-21 on Nickelodeon, but what about the viewers who don't have cable? DVDs are the likely option for them, but what if they can't find certain episodes? What are Universal going to do then? They'll have to do a lot to make up for how abysmal their distribution of the episodes is...

MLP Episode 813: The Mean 6

So now we've come to the final episode of the first half of season eight! The first half (School Daze-Horse Play) turned out really good, but the second half (The Parent Map-Marks for Effort) was all over the place, ranging from great to terrible. Can The Mean 6 end the first half on a high note before we enter the mid-season hiatus?

I'm gonna say it; the episode sucked, and it's earned the title of the worst episode of the show. But where do I begin with its problems?

The first problem is with the Mane Six themselves, plus Starlight. They've been hit with Steam Team Syndrome. Not that they've been made the core cast by isolating other characters (barring Starlight, they have been established as the leads since day one). No, I mean that they're practically interchangeable with one another; every time they encounter one of the Mean Six, there's a big conflict. You could have them swap places and the plot would be the same.

Case in point, Rarity and Starlight encountering Mean Applejack. Sure, Rarity said Mean Applejack looked a bit pale, and yet she didn't notice her cutie mark looked different? Not taking a look at Mean Applejack's flank makes both Rarity and Starlight look like idiots.

Adding to the stupidity is that no one knew Chrysalis was behind this scheme. Seriously, they try putting two and two together and yet they each somehow got different solutions! And once again, Twilight is an insufferable idiot by accusing Pinkie of hurting Fluttershy (at least Pinkie actually showed genuine concern for Fluttershy, which was surprising)! Do the new writers have some kind of hatred for Twilight?

Also, the way their fighting was resolved felt far too cheesy. Seriously, all the accusations, and yet it's suddenly resolved by a speech from Twilight. You could argue it's a half minute's worth, but keep in mind this is the climax of ten minutes' worth of misunderstandings (or, if you consider real time, at least a few hours)! On top of that, they're more or less in the same place they started, making the entire conflict pointless.

I'd point out the positives at this point, but... there isn't really a whole lot. There were some funny moments with the Mean Six, but they're painfully predictable. Sure, it was nice to see Chrysalis again, but it just feels anticlimactic. The Mean Six melting and turning back into trees? I'm kind of surprised they got away with that!

Final Thoughts

If you want this story done better, watch The Return of Harmony. There's a lot more character involved, there's a lesson to be learned by the end of the story, and most of all, the characters were in a different place than when they started. Heck, even To Where and Back Again got this right. The Mean 6 had no point whatsoever; it's the dictionary definition of anticlimactic, and the worst episode to come out of the show. A show that crapped out Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep and Secrets and Pies!

At least Chrysalis stayed a villain by the end...

Rating: Atrocious

MLP Episode 812: Marks for Effort

For once, we have an episode that wasn't leaked in December! Okay, technically, it aired in Finland early, but that's beside the point. And it's Nicole Dubuc's first solo episode as well! Can Marks for Effort prove that she's a good writer, or were her collaborations on Shadow Play and School Daze pure luck?

Honestly, it's still hard to say right now. It's not the strongest episode, but it isn't all that bad either. It was... fine.

One of the things which struck me was the synopsis; why would the Crusaders want to attend the School of Friendship when they're already at Cheerilee's school? Thankfully, they didn't have to deal with going to two different schools at once, and they become tutors at the School of Friendship in the end.

And then there's Cozy Glow. I don't really have too much to say about her at this point, but she looks cute and charming. Some are saying that she might be Queen Chrysalis in disguise, and whilst I don't usually comment on fandom speculation, that may actually be something the show never tackled before. Usually, when we meet an antagonist, we get the impression that they may not be one we want to mess with.

However, a downside to that is... Well, look at recent Disney villains like Hans from Frozen and Bellwether from Zootopia; their villainy comes out of nowhere and it raises questions as to how we - the audience and film's characters - were able to trust them at all.

And then we come to the comments that Diamond Tiara wasn't used in place of Cozy Glow. I genuinely believe that in Crusaders of the Lost Mark, Diamond Tiara was deliberately given a redemption just so they could write her out of future stories and push her into the background, likely because of how much the fandom hated her at the time. Considering what happened to Flash Sentry (someone who's never done anything bad), that's a possibility.

Back to the episode; this kind of raises questions in-universe as to how old the Crusaders are. We know Flurry Heart is a baby and that the Mane Six and Starlight are adults, but the Crusaders? They're still in school, and yet they act and sound like teenagers.

Also, Twilight's characterization this season is becoming more gratuitous. Why would she jump to the conclusion that the Crusaders deliberately caused Cozy Glow to fail? Yes, I get that she cares for her students having a good performance, but banning the Crusaders for a lie seems like overreaction on Twilight's end.

Getting back to Cozy Glow apparently being a secret antagonist, maybe lying about the Crusaders seems like the first sign? This should be interesting as the season progresses.

Final Thoughts

So far, this is probably Nicole Dubuc's weakest script, much of it is down to a thin plot and predictable outcome (I'm sensing a trend this season), but I'm hoping she comes to her own and improves as season eight carries on. It's nice to see a little more growth being implanted for the Crusaders, and this may be the first episode to hint at what's to come for the finale in autumn. Also, can we stop making Twilight look like an incompetent idiot when there's a serious issue at hand? Familiarity breeds contempt, and it already looks like she'll be worse than she was in season six.

Rating: Okay

MLP Episode 811: Molt Down

This review was held back in honor of Memorial Day.

A couple of years ago in her follow-up review on Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep, Lily Peet sarcastically commented that she was looking forward to how My Little Pony would handle puberty... and then Molt Down came around. Will it actually be good?

The short answer is... yes, surprisingly!

One of this episode's greatest strengths is that Spike feels relatable and not being constantly brought down to size; in the case of the "molt," it's an inconvenience and he never knew it happens to dragons. Of course, I'm pretty sure Smolder wasn't scaring him on purpose and was simply joking with him, but then again, she didn't grow up around ponies and wouldn't understand how he was feeling.

What was also nice was seeing Twilight show genuine concern for Spike when he gets stone scales around his face. After a couple of episodes where she came off as an incompetent idiot, this is definitely a breath of fresh air. Though wouldn't Spike have known by now Twilight wouldn't abandon him?

Rarity and Zecora were also great; the former's brief deafness problems are pretty amusing, and the latter's guidance roles make me appreciate how lucky Zecora is to be a side character. She works best when she's playing off another character in, for example, A Health of Information and Magic Duel. It's also why I'm glad Edward is moving to Wellsworth because chances are he'll never be poorly written again, but I've explained why already, so let's move on.

But now let's talk about the main takeaway of the episode; Spike getting his wings. Well, it would be a nice surprise if A) it wasn't leaked by greedy fans, and B) Hasbro didn't reveal that information in a teaser! In the case of the latter, this is practically Magical Mystery Cure all over again, only this time, fans weren't thrown into a tizzy about the show being "ruined".

Personally, I'm glad and disappointed that Spike got his wings; glad in that after eight seasons, we finally get to see him physically grow up, and it looks as though there's big plans for him later in the season.

The disappointment comes when you consider that Twilight got her own wings at the end of season three. In the last five years, fans have adjusted to this so much that we tend to forget that Twilight started out as a unicorn (or maybe they don't, I'm not sure). Heck, the Crusaders got their cutie marks in the middle of season five, and that was an afterthought. With Spike? By the time Generation 4 comes to an end, it'll be too little too late to get fully used to him having wings.

That being said, it was nice to see Spike standing up to the roc to save Rarity and Zecora from its clutches, and the ending, though predictable, was pretty satisfying. Though it does make you wonder how everyone else reacted to his wings...

Final Thoughts

After a brief slump in the middle of the first half, it looks like season eight is back on track again. Spike is definitely growing as a character (we can't call him a baby dragon anymore) and getting his wings shows that there's a bit more story potential for him. Maybe have him stand up to Garble one day?

Rating: Excellent

MLP Episode 810: The Break Up Break Down

Season eight had a great start with School Daze, and the next five episodes were all really good for the most part, but then it faltered so suddenly with the last two episodes ranging from bad to terrible. Can The Break Up Break Down claw back some lost ground?

In some ways, it does. Others though? Not enough to be considered one of the best. This has a similar problem to The Parent Map; it primarily takes after a season seven episode (Hard to Say Anything) and three others from past seasons (Dungeons and Discords, All Bottled Up, and Hearts and Hooves Day).

However, unlike The Parent Map, The Break Up Break Down has some advantage over it. For one, the characters are actually entertaining, Discord and Spike especially. I definitely believe you could create gold with these two, and Confalone certainly did here (though, this may be down to having written Dungeons and Discords as well).

Another strong point is that it addressed a question a had since Hard to Say Anything aired; are Big Mac and Sugar Belle in a long distance relationship? As of this episode, we can see that she'll be closer to him by being an apprentice to Mrs. Cake.

The best character of the episode was, without a doubt, Big Macintosh. He's sensitive, he's slightly insecure, and even apologies when he takes his frustration out on those who didn't deserve it. Some may get some Ponyville Confidential vibes out of that, but it doesn't take longer than thirty seconds and like I said, he does apologize for yelling at Sweetie Belle. So let's park a bit of caution there, okay?

Speaking of which, the Crusaders' subplot felt useless and didn't have any impact on the main story. Sure, they helped Big Mac set up the barn, but that's it. It could easily be skipped over and you lose nothing.

The episode's theme was about jumping to conclusions... and communicating properly with others, which, actually, feels a lot more nuanced than what we've seen as of late in recent Thomas episodes like Engine of the Future. The fact that they used a few characters around that theme made it all the more better, though slightly anti-climactic since we know Sugar Belle wasn't going to break up with Big Mac.

Also, this is minor, but why do they keep saying "girl" in place of "mare"? There's nothing wrong with saying "coltfriend" and "marefriend", so use that!

Final Thoughts

It's a step in the right direction for season eight; despite the re-use of elements from certain episodes, the characters and theme more than make up for that, so it passes into "good" territory, though only just. That being said, I hope they come up with some more original stories for the rest of season eight and nine, plus the yet-to-be released Generation 5. Otherwise, it's a sign the series is creatively stagnant and should be put to bed.

Rating: Good

MLP Episode 809: Non-Compete Clause

After seven episodes since School Daze, we're back to the School of Friendship! There's one thing concerning this Non-Compete Clause; will it actually be good and prove The Parent Map was merely a fluke?

Last time, I was hoping the writers could do something fresh lest the show become stagnant. Their best response? An episode about teamwork, and one where Rainbow Dash and Applejack are at odds with each other... again.

However, to be fair, this was seven seasons after Fall Weather Friends, so it's a bit more forgivable here. And the fact they had the Young Six reacting to their antics added a little more nuance to the story.

But that is what really kills the episode for me. You'd have expected after eight years that Rainbow Dash and Applejack would've learned not to behave like children over little things. Episodes like this where the lead characters are rewritten to suit the story can potentially harm their reputation and make them unlikable. It also says a lot that the Young Six, characters who are meant to represent a younger generation, have more maturity than two characters who have been a staple of the show since 2010.

On top of that, the moral is incredibly hammered in. Sure, it's one that kids need to learn, but here's the thing; this is a lesson Rainbow Dash and Applejack should know by now! We've seen in past episodes that they've worked well together, even in this season alone! Why they can't do this now is beyond me. Hell, the episode's ending gave off the implication that they learned nothing from the experience.

Twilight's role wasn't much better either. Sure, she scolded Rainbow Dash and Applejack for their behavior (something we need to see more of), but she still lets them lead the field trip anyway, despite the fact that Yona almost drowned because of their petty bickering! And Rainbow Dash and Applejack did nothing to help her! Imagine what Rutherford would say if he found out!

Yeah, this episode is riddled with unfortunate implications; would any student want to be taught by a pair of teachers who are constantly at each other's throats during a field trip? The students wouldn't feel safe, and their parents/guardians wouldn't trust them! I know what message the kids want it to be, but as I've said, Rainbow Dash and Applejack should've learned this lesson by now! And when they got tied up, I thought that it served them right for being careless.

Like I've also said, the Young Six are really good throughout, Yona and Ocellus especially. The former's aquaphobia could be an interesting character study in the future, and the latter's transformations into a seapony and a fish are really fun to see.

Final Thoughts

I know it's too early to call, but this is so far a candidate for worst episode of the season. It completely ignores character development that had happened in the past seven seasons just for the plot to happen, the moral comes off as extremely forced, and the ending makes the whole endeavor pointless. The episode as a whole provides nothing new or interesting.

I really hope this doesn't become a constant problem for season eight; otherwise, I'll be left with little to discuss. The writers really need to pick up their game lest this season becomes worse than the sixth.

Rating: Terrible

MLP Episode 808: The Parent Map

So far, season eight has had a pretty solid start. Despite the odd blip here and there, the episode quality has been nothing short of wonderful. But then there's The Parent Map, and given what I saw with Uncommon Bond, I was left worried that it wouldn't be that great. Was I wrong?

I don't mind retreads just as long as the writers do something fresh with the previous plot. But here? This is pretty much a retreading of Parental Glideance, only it's more annoying. Maybe it's not a beat-for-beat retreading, but it does contain a similar trope of Starlight's father and Sunburst's mother being overdoting to their respective offspring. And boy, does it get frustrating after a while...

Not only that, this took on elements of The Perfect Pear (the conflict between the parents, which came from nowhere and ended rather suddenly), Triple Threat (a friendship problem being initiated by Starlight and Sunburst), and Uncommon Bond (a revisiting of their past). I've let the other six episodes off the hook as they added more nuance to their respective themes, but this... doesn't.

In addition to the unoriginality, there's a crapload of wasted potential to explore Starlight's past. How did her father react to Starlight becoming an antagonist? What was Sire's Hollow like when she was little? What happened to Sunburst's father (he doesn't show up in the present day)? Why were Stellar Flare and Firelight fighting at the start? Too many questions and too few answers just make the episode feel overall like a jumbled mess.

They do try making up for the lack of cohesive plot by adding in some humor with the ponyfolk of Sire's Hollow, and to be fair, there are a few actually funny moments with the baker pony and his rock bread. It's also funny that they have more humor and charm in this episode than Sunburst ever did since his debut.

Yeah, speaking of whom, I still don't like Sunburst. He's so boring that he makes Mudbriar look like Capper in comparison. If you aren't going to do anything interesting with Sunburst, then what was the point of creating him in the first place? At least Flash Sentry has (or rather, had) potential. Sunburst has absolutely nothing.

It says a lot that Starlight Glimmer, someone who's given tons of hate even after three years, actually has more character than Sunburst. And again, in fairness, she does what she can to give the episode some weight, and seeing her snap at her father for treating her like a baby was a good moment for her. Whilst Starlight reminding Twilight where she messed up was good, her scolding Firelight was great, and it holds more weight than Rainbow Dash being a bit petty with her parents (which, I'll admit, improves on Parental Glideance slightly). Same for Sunburst and Stellar Flare, surprisingly (even if I don't like the former). Heck, even Twilight and Spike had some great moments despite their small roles.

But there is a glaring issue with Starlight's role; how did she and Sunburst not know what the problem was earlier? Heck, the cold open pretty much shows a pile of Stellar Flare's letters to Sunburst, and you figure out the issue about ten to fifteen minutes before the pair do, making them feel stupid.

Here's what I could've done to fix the episode; have Sunburst go to Sire's Hollow where he learns about what happened to his father whilst making amends with Stellar Flare. And while you're at it, have Starlight be there to provide some moral support whilst thinking about her checkered relationship with Firelight. And on top of providing more insight into their past, you give the audience more of a reason to care for their plight. It's basic on paper, but I'm sure it'd be a lot better than what we were given.

A number of people are bringing this up, and damned if I didn't; the Cutie Map can randomly call up anyone now. That sends off some catastrophic implications if it were to call up a villain...!

Final Thoughts

In answering the question I started off this review with; no. I wasn't wrong. It's unoriginal as hell and has loads of wasted potential; by far, it's my least favorite of season eight and it's a great shame that it had been great up to this point. I just hope that the next episode can bring forth something new; otherwise, it may not just be Equestria Girls that's reaching the end of the line...

Rating: Bad

MLP Episode 807: Horse Play

Happy Mother's Day! To celebrate, here's my views on Horse Play.

Prior to Celestial Advice, there have been complaints that Luna had received far more screentime than Celestia did, and the latter was fairly prominent during season one whilst the former... wasn't. Even though it took them seven seasons to do it, at least the writers have addressed the issue. So how does this one stack up?

Well, it's not as good as A Royal Problem, but it is definitely within the range. Celestia is an absolute delight throughout the entire episode, especially when she has her "squee" moment over being the lead in a play, as well as her bad acting.

Twilight's role... was a mixed bag. I understand why she doesn't want to upset her former mentor, but this is the fourth time in the last year alone (the first three being Shadow Play, The Movie, and School Daze) that she ignored her friends' advice! Does she suddenly not trust her friends? You'd think after eight years she'd have learned to trust her friends by now.

Another issue was with Pinkie Pie; her antics were more annoying than funny, and she didn't get any consequences for making problems worse for Twilight. There is more to her character than the writers seem to be letting on, and you don't need to watch just The Movie to understand that!

However, everyone else in the episode more than makes up for that. Applejack being the voice of reason was nice (at least she learned something from a past experience!), the return of the Method Mares from season five was pretty serviceable, but the standout was Fluttershy, no question. She looks absolutely cute dressed as Celestia.

Besides the theme about being honest with your criticisms, there was a nice theme about working with the problems you've landed in in regards to the final play. I dunno if that was the intention or my interpretation of it, but that was a nice touch.

Final Thoughts

So far, no episode has been able to match School Daze, but Horse Play has come pretty close. It's mostly down to the issues with Twilight and Pinkie's characterization, but despite this issue, it's a solid episode featuring Celestia as a major player.

Rating: Excellent

MLP Episode 806: Surf and/or Turf

Ever since The Movie, I was hoping we'd get to see the hippogriffs again, especially Princess Skystar. And when this episode was announced, I was excited. But how does Surf and/or Turf fare?

Actually, I'd have been more excited if stupid, greedy people that call themselves "fans" didn't leak this episode (and a few others) in an unfinished state and spoiling the surprises for the true fans because they've nothing better to do with their lives... But whatever.

Regardless, it's yet another episode I really enjoy, and I liked Terramar a lot. He is incredibly sympathetic and relatable, and there's the subtle allegory with his parents Sky Beak (a hippogriff) and Ocean Flow (a seapony) being divorced, and yet they're still friendly with one another. That is a bold move for MLP, and one that I'm sure kids with divorced parents will relate to. Though it does make one wonder how Silverstream is handling this...!

Seeing Scootaloo swim around as a seapony is just adorably charming. It's almost like she's finally achieved her goal to sort of "fly", even if she was underwater. And no, Apple Bloom exaggerating the story of the Storm King's invasion doesn't bug me; most likely she's exaggerating just to make it sound exciting.

That being said, the conflict between Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle felt rather shoehorned. Sure, they had their disagreements on where Terramar should live in, but it more or less comes from nowhere and is dropped just as soon as it starts.

Although this doesn't affect my views on the episode, I'll mention it anyway; why on earth is Madeleine Peters not singing? I mean, she's sung fairly well as Scootaloo in the past (the last time was in The Fault in Our Cutie Marks back in season six), and yet here, her singing voice is done by Arielle Tuliao. So... why the change?

Final Thoughts

Sometimes, the best episodes are those that give me little to talk about, and despite the problem with the leaks in December, this was yet another highlight to season seven. Though I was pretty disappointed that Skystar didn't make an appearance, much less receive a mention, it didn't ruin the viewing experience for me. It was fine the way it is.

Rating: Excellent

MLP Episode 805: Grannies Gone Wild

Don't fret, people; there's nothing pornographic about this episode, especially if you watch it, though there is a problem I have in regards to a certain reference, but more on that later. Anyway, here are my views on Grannies Gone Wild.

I'll start off with a question; when you think of Rainbow Dash episodes, who would be the first character on your mind to play off against her? I'm sure most of you wouldn't think up Granny Smith, am I right? You'd think, "Rainbow Dash and one of the grannies of Equestria? That's too ridiculous even by the show's standards!" And you'd probably be right.

But did Gillian Berrow pull that off? Absolutely. The fact that she even wrote it in Las Vegas might've helped.

What makes it better is Rainbow Dash. Lately, she's been treated as a butt monkey at best, and an unbearable idiot at worst. Whilst there are instances of her being insensitive, she at least has a reason to act this way; she wants to ride the Wild Blue Yonder roller coaster like Wonderbolts past have done before it closes down.

However, she's forced to look after Granny Smith, Apple Rose, Goldie Delicious, and Auntie Applesauce, with strict instructions from Applejack. And seeing poor Rainbow constantly bugged by an imaginary Applejack head was really funny and added to her paranoia. The grannies' antics didn't make Rainbow's behavior much better, but it was still funny to see.

Speaking of humor, the episode is remembered for a particularly awkward reason; not because of the characters, the story, or even the themes (which I'll get to in a bit), but because of this screenshot:

Two things:

1. It's blatantly obvious that this is pandering to the adult fans. Seriously, how many kids are expected to know what Rick and Morty is?
2. The R&M fanbase are making a huge deal over a one-second shot of a 22-minute episode. ONE SHOT that you could easily overlook if you were a casual viewer!

I won't go on about this, but the bottom line is, stop raising hell over small things! The world's already a toxic dumpster fire as it is, so think about your own damn lives for at least a minute!

Okay, getting back to the episode, and I like that there are two themes here; think about others' needs (it's not entirely new for the show, but I digress), and that people can have fun regardless of age (which is surprisingly new for the show). They are both lessons Rainbow Dash needed to learn, and the ride she got at the end on the coaster was pretty satisfying.

Final Thoughts

Need a bit of a laugh for twenty minutes? This episode is for you. It felt like it was an improvement over Somepony to Watch Over Me (after all, old people need a lot of attention) and the whole conflict all felt believable and relatable. It's practically the MLP equivalent to Dowager Hatt's Busy Day. Although, can we stop throwing in references that only older fans will get? Because the more you do it, the less you focus on your target audience.

Rating: Excellent

MLP Episode 804: Fake It 'Til You Make It

So School Daze was an amazing premiere, and yet The Maud Couple was a slightly disappointing follow-up to that episode. Let's see how Fake It 'Til You Make It holds up in comparison.

When was the last time Fluttershy and Rarity got an episode together? Season one? Wow, it feels like ages since that last happened, and it definitely feels more special compared to an annual Maud Pie episode. It's nice to get something like this once in a while rather than once a season.

And this "once in a while" episode turned out surprisingly good given that Josh Hamilton wrote this. Parental Glideance and Triple Threat were okay, but Secrets and Pies was downright awful, one of MLP's worst episodes to date. Fake It 'Til You Make It was undoubtedly his diamond in the rough, though it's not much of a surprise given that this was a Fluttershy episode.

For once, the humor was actually quite funny and rarely comes off as forced. Seeing Fluttershy constantly changing into her vain, hipster, and goth personalities is so over-the-top that I find it impossible not to enjoy. And hey, where else do you hear her do a Rarity impression?

I also like the roles the raccoons had in assisting Fluttershy, and their interactions with Spike were quite fun; has he been taking lessons from the not-so-introverted-as-we'd-like-to-think pegasus?

But you can't outrun all the criticisms; for one thing, the rest of the Mane Six (barring Rarity of course) felt kind of useless. Sure, they helped Fluttershy get back to normal, but Rarity could've done it by herself as well and the plot wouldn't change. That being said, the moral about being yourself is a good one, but the fact it's overused does not bother me here...

No, the real problem is that it could've worked just as well with Coco Pommel, maybe better. She has a similar persona to Fluttershy, and we've yet to see her display a little more character. Heck, they don't even mention her at any point, which is a great shame.

Final Thoughts

Despite the missed opportunities and a rather awkward ending, it's still one of Josh Hamilton's better efforts - no, scratch that - his best effort so far. Although the lesson is nothing new, it was definitely one Fluttershy needed to learn, as well as being one that can resonate with kids. It's an improvement over The Maud Couple, but still not quite as good as School Daze; and believe me when I say it'll take a lot to beat that one.

Rating: Good

MLP Episode 803: The Maud Couple

Well, we're finally here! I could've posted this earlier, but I first wanted to get the video review for School Daze done for The Emotions' Corner on YouTube. Now that it's done, I can finally catch up on the rest of the season eight episodes that have aired by the time of posting. Starting with The Maud Couple.

I don't think this was as good as School Daze, but I do think that it has a very strong message within its context, and I will get to that in a bit.

The first complaint I have is that this is the third season in a row where Maud Pie is at the center stage near the start of a season. That was a complaint I had with Emily in the Middle feeling way too similar to Love Me Tender; however, unlike the aforementioned Donald and Douglas episodes, the Maud Pie episodes are actually very different story wise:

• The Gift of the Maud Pie is about Pinkie trying to get her sister a gift whilst in Manehattan.
• Rock Solid Friendship is about Maud moving to Ponyville and making a new friend in Starlight Glimmer.
• The Maud Couple is about Maud getting a boyfriend and Pinkie's reaction to it.

As long as each episode featuring a certain character is different, that's okay in my books. Just... don't have a Maud Pie episode near the start of every future season, okay? After all, familiarity breeds contempt. (I'm looking at you, Forgotten Friendship!)

Another problem is one that plagues Nick Confalone's writing; the plot is quite thin, and it almost felt like a few gags were being prolonged deliberately just to fill up 22 minutes. I mean, Pinkie reintroduces herself to Mudbriar three times. What do I think of him as a character? Well... I can honestly take him or leave him, but how often does he have to say "technically" and then over-correct a lot that Pinkie says? This can become annoying after a while.

Oh, and two more points where the plot feels thin; Maud Pie's stand-up comedy act and Pinkie's Opposite Day fantasy with the rest of the Mane Six. They're both funny in their own right, but they add nothing to the plot.

Now, the episode as a whole isn't terrible; one thing that actually stood out to me was that it looked like Limestone and Marble Pie seem to finally be gaining a bit more character. Limestone can be wise and helpful when she wants to be, and Marble even showed disapproval at Limestone cutting off Pinkie's explanation. That was really good! Can we have more of this, please?

Even more so was the theme, which raises my views on the episode a bit. It's what's inside that's most important. Not as strong as the theme of inclusivity in School Daze, but like the aforementioned theme, it's a big one for today's society as people will judge one another by skin color rather than looking past that.

Final Thoughts

It was a step down from School Daze, but The Maud Couple is still a good episode in its own right; just not as good as it could've been. Had it not been for the theme, it would've gotten a worse rating. Also, can we not have Pinkie acting like a spoiled child whenever she's with Maud? It's writing choices like that which can taint a character's likability and eventually lead to flanderization.

Rating: Good

Equestria Girls: Forgotten Friendship

I originally wasn't going to write a review for this, mostly because I felt Equestria Girls has gone on for way too long, and that was due to stagnation in the writing. But these thoughts have been haunting my mind for so long that I simply could not ignore them anymore, and so I've decided to sit down and give Forgotten Friendship a proper review. Oh joy...(!)

I'm going to start by saying the story for this "special" is terrible. It suffers from Sharon Miller Syndrome. I don't mean that the story uses the three-strikes formula and has constant rhyming and alliteration that makes you want to chop your ears off. No, I mean that the story very much follows the same generic Equestria Girls plotline we've seen post-Rainbow Rocks:

After last week's crisis, everything is doing great for Sunset, Sci-Twi and company, except that there's a new personal conflict among friends and a new generic female villain on the loose. After a whole lot of fluff in the middle, the villain reveals herself and everybody else is useless in stopping the bad girl of the week, and it's only Sunset or Sci-Twi that gives them the boost to save the day and forgive the villain for her misdemeanors. All is forgiven. Roll end credits and include generic pop song.

Let's use Legend of Everfree as an example: Following the Friendship Games, things are relatively okay for Sci-Twi and her new friends, but Sci-Twi has shell shock from Midnight Sparkle and Gloriosa Daisy is causing trouble at Camp Everfree. She transforms into Gaea Everfree and the Human Six struggle to beat her until Sci-Twi comes in to save the day. Gloriosa is forgiven for her actions, and raises enough money to save Camp Everfree before the end credits roll.

And then there's Mirror Magic: The post-production for the Daring Do movie has completed, and things are great for the Rainbooms, except Sunset is worried about Equestrian magic in the human world and Juniper Montage is bitter for her humiliation. She becomes a fifteen-foot giantess and traps the Rainbooms in a magic mirror, only to be talked down by a visiting Starlight Glimmer. Juniper is forgiven and all is well; cue the end credits.

(Yes, I know Dance Magic and Movie Magic don't follow the exact formula to the letter, but they're still incredibly generic and boring in and of themselves.)

I don't know if this was intentional or not, but if you strip the stories down to the basic elements, they are more or less the same, and each has gimmicks sprinkled on top to try and distract the audience from the fact that it's the same story they've seen before. You can change a couple of ingredients to bake a pizza, and it will still look and taste like a pizza.

And that is the biggest problem with Forgotten Friendship; they replace Gloriosa Daisy/Juniper Montage with Wallflower Blush, the shell shocked Sci-Twi/stressed out Sunset with Sunset realizing her friends don't remember her being their friend, the geodes/mirror with some stupid rock, and yet Nick Confalone (the writer/editor of this crapfest) expects us to think this is new?! I'm sorry, but most of us aren't stupid, Hasbro! The only difference is that Wallflower Blush doesn't transform at the climax.

Oh, yes. Wallflower Blush. I absolutely deplore this stupid, stupid brat!! I never thought there'd be a character who angered me more than Timber Spruce, but I found them. Nothing about her is likable or sympathetic in the slightest! Before you comment that I should like her because she's "cute," appearances do not factor into my views on a character because they're a default setting, not a freak accident. Wallflower is not cute! Not in the slightest!

Think about her "goals" for a moment; she feels neglected around her peers and wants to be noticed. Fair enough, it's something that's a little more grounded, but that's where the story takes a rifle to the chest. She erased awkward memories with the Memory Stone and for no reason blames it all Sunset! Seriously! What had she done to Wallflower to deserve it? Nothing! Sure, she turned off the lights with Wallflower still in the room, but that was hardly the worst thing you can do to someone! Juniper Montage had better motivations than this! I'm not even kidding.

Why is Wallflower targeting Sunset when she could've targeted literally anybody at CHS? What was she hoping to accomplish with this, and how would erasing everyone's memories of Sunset make her feel better? All this would do is make things worse for Wallflower, and she'll have no personal gain from this! Her motivations are petty at best, and outright stupid and malicious at worst!

Also, did anyone notice that her inclusion in the flashbacks of first three movies was contrived? They (along with Legend of Everfree and the 2017 specials) never acknowledged she existed prior to this, and she'll most likely never be used again, making her role completely pointless! This would've been a good way to bring the Dazzlings back, and as much as I'd be okay with them not returning, it would make a hell of a lot more sense as their grudge against Sunset and co. would be a lot stronger.

And yes, I'm going to talk about her redemption at the end; I HATE that godforsaken cliche! What's even more insulting is that it felt like Wallflower was being given the happy ending she didn't deserve! This was a moment where adults should've been involved to give her a punishment, but they dropped the ball here by implying that people will accept you after you emotionally traumatized one of their friends. Seriously, that is legitimately what Wallflower did to Sunset!

And that brings me onto the Rainbooms; whilst Sunset is written fine, the others are once again caricatures of their pony counterparts! This is a problem with the Rainbooms which has been brewing since... Rainbow Rocks, actually. The writers have to make the Rainbooms look as weak and helpless as possible whilst making Sunset (except in Everfree and Mirror Magic, when it was Sci-Twi and Starlight, respectively) the big hero in the end. It made sense in Rainbow Rocks, but everything after?

A while back, I spoke with someone on DeviantArt finding Sunset an overrated character and that she's a spotlight stealer, and honestly? I don't blame her, and I can see where she's going with this. And yet fans accuse Starlight Glimmer for stealing the spotlight, and her character has gotten better since To Where and Back Again (though it's debatable at best). Sunset? Praised to high hell. I imagine some of you are going to call me a hater and a hypocrite, but calm down; I don't hate Sunset Shimmer. I never did, not even in 2013. But sometimes, it helps to look at both sides of the coin, and as much as I'll always love Sunset, it pains me to say that it feels like she's for EG what fans are saying about Starlight for FiM; over-glorified by the writers.

It's a special kind of sad that the Human Six actually have potential to be as well-rounded as their pony counterparts, but are constantly dumbed down to a few traits; seriously, why does Pinkie Pie have to make some stupid food related jokes every few minutes? It wasn't funny in Movie Magic, and it's definitely not funny here! Until they're allowed to have deeper personalities on a consistent basis, and within a longer timeframe, this will not improve.

Also, this is a nitpick, but I'm gonna complain about it anyway. Why the hell did Sunset not remind her friends of the time they made a music video together and then showed it to them? Heck, why didn't she ask Spike to confirm she's their friend? I know this doesn't have a huge effect on the story, but it's a prime example of cherry-picking continuity. They show flashbacks of the first four movies, and yet they ignore the events of the 2017 specials! Either reference all the events that had happened, or not at all. This is another of many plot holes of the special; there's so many that Swiss cheese feels whole by comparison!

Then there's the swimsuits of the Rainbooms; they're fine for what they are, but let's look at them from a marketing standpoint. Minis of them were revealed long before the special came out, and that tells me that this special was made just to sell toys! I get that MLP started as a toy franchise, but come on! They should be a byproduct of the show, not the other way around! It feels like a gimmicky distraction from the lackluster story. They could be hanging out at the mall in regular clothing and the plot wouldn't change.

Back to legitimate issues; there's the two signature scenes, and the first being the one many fans wanted - Princess Celestia and Sunset reuniting. And it was absolutely anti-climactic. Seriously, that was the biggest slap in the face since the ending of Crusaders of the Lost Mark! It could've been great, except they have Twilight (the Princess, that is) acting like an idiot trying to lighten the situation, therefore making the tone feel confused as to what it should be - comedic or heartwarming? It can't be both! They should've made that an entire special on its own, but it feels like it was shoehorned as an afterthought and has little effect on the story, as well as payoff that's unsatisfying on so many levels. It's just another way to distract the audience from the fact that the story is lackluster, almost like Big Mickey's reveal in New Crane on the Dock, in fact!

Speaking of the ponies, was Equestria even necessary to the story? The reason Wallflower found the Memory Stone was because Clover the Clever (male or female; I don't care at this point) banished it to the human world instead of, oh, I don't know, destroying it in the first place?! Yes, I get that you wouldn't have a story in the first place, but I counter with my comments on Legend of Everfree's ending; if the solution to a problem is that simple, then the story is pointless.

And now we come to the climax, and again, it's very anti-climactic and just laughably stupid (not in a good way either). First off, Sunset gets her memories of the human world taken from her. I would agree that it's dramatic... if it wasn't for the fact that past experience showed me that she and her friends are unlikely to get killed off by now! We got the message in Mirror Magic; they're the main characters and cannot be killed off. With that knowledge in mind, it makes the story even more pointless than it is! Oh, and why did they have to transform just to destroy that damned Stone? They could've simply took it from Wallflower and smashed it to the ground!

But the things I hate most about Forgotten Friendship is that it feels like it was padded out to fill the runtime (and that is a huge problem with Nick Confalone as a writer) and the wasted potential. I'm serious; this is what I'd have done:

1. Change the title to Sunset's True Friends and reduce the runtime to 22 minutes.
2. Make Trixie the antagonist and have her spread rumors about Sunset among the school. Yes, it's kind of petty and cliche, but at least it's not as bad as what we got.
3. A few select students - maybe a few background humans? - believe Sunset is bullying them behind their backs, but the rest are willing to give her the benefit of the doubt.
4. Remember Flash Sentry's cameo near the end? Have him be the co-star alongside Sunset and we delve a little more into their past.
5. During all this, have Sunset worry she might not be as good as friendship as she thinks and she expresses her concerns to Princess Twilight.
6. The more rumors spread, the more Sunset worries and is on the verge of depression. This paranoia is only affirmed when her best friends slowly turn on her one by one.
7. Trixie is confronted in the hallway, and she reveals her intentions in front of a lot of students, resulting in Flash calling her out for her petty behavior, even to the point of calling her a complete, utter blowhard.
8. Principal Celestia has Trixie put in detention for the rest of the year, and the latter gets a very humiliating photo in the yearbook.
9. As gratitude for Flash helping her, Sunset decides he and Princess Twilight need closure, and writes to her friend about it, and then lets the two talk things out.
10. Don't worry, I didn't forget the Princess Celestia bits; have that its own individual special called Celestial Sunset, and it's built up by Flash asking if there's any others she hasn't had closure yet, which surprises Sunset. In the next special, she returns to Equestria and by the end, has full closure with Princess Celestia. (I'll let you work out what happens in between.)

Seriously, it takes a lot of effort to create something astonishing like A Royal Problem. If they had gone for something similar to what I've suggested, this could've been one of the best of the Equestria Girls spinoff! But as Forgotten Friendship stands, it's a trainwreck from top to bottom, and the worst thing to come out of Generation 4.

The voice acting is serviceable, but I feel really bad for the cast having their talents being wasted on terrible concepts for the spinoff, especially Rebecca Shoichet and Vincent Tong (even if he didn't voice in this special). The former has always done a fantastic job as Sunset Shimmer, so to never see her character show up on the actual show is just sad, even if she does a great job voicing Sugar Belle. As for Vincent Tong? Flash is never given a chance to shine, and it's sad as unlike Juniper Montage and Wallflower Blush, who are merely toy ploys, he has potential as a character. But since Sandbar from season eight is voiced by Vincent, at least he's given a chance to voice more often, though I doubt it means Flash will turn up again in the actual show...

The animation, once again, is fine. But apart from the beach scenes and the scenes in Equestria, there wasn't a whole lot where it stood out on its own. It's not terrible, but not as grand as it could be.

And then there's the music; the instrumental themes are quite generic and forgettable, but the songs are just plain awful. Wallflower's song tries way too hard to make you sympathize with her, and its generic pop sound makes it sound worse than it already is. "Open Up Your Eyes" handled this way better in The Movie, mostly because we were being shown what was happening instead of just being told. The fact that there was orchestral music made it sound grander than it did. The opening song is extremely forgettable; in one ear, out the other.

Final Thoughts

I'll be honest; when the description for A Friendship to Remember came out (it's the novelization of the special) and then it was revealed it'd be in animated form, I knew it was going to be awful, and watching it proved my point. It's a piece of garbage from start to finish, and there is no redeeming quality about it. There are so many plot holes throughout that it almost feels like Nick Confalone is half-assing his way to tie up some loose threads in the series. And that's not even mentioning that it actually could've worked as two specials.

And I know people are gonna say, "But it's the best thing ever! Sunset and Celestia reunited!" Open your eyes, people! My Little Pony was a success because of the writing first and foremost! Everything else is purely secondary, and the gimmicks should be stone dead last or not there at all. Stories should work around characters and not the reverse. The music, voice acting, and animation are there to help the story being told. Hell, even season six, much as I'm not a fan of it, got that right. And on top of that, the characters were written to be relatable. With Friendship Games and all EG productions afterward, I didn't feel any of them were relatable at all, and even when they do try with the likes of Wallflower Blush (I assume they tried to make her represent autistic people, but I'd take Theo from Journey Beyond Sodor every single time), they fail spectacularly.

Let's take a look at the Toy Story franchise for a bit, shall we? All three movies, even if they have similar tropes, each feel different to each other. The 1995 original was about Woody feeling jealous of Buzz and then both get separated accidentally from Andy, so they have to work together to get home. The 1999 sequel had Woody being stolen by a greedy toy collector, and so Buzz and several other toys head out to save him. And then in the 2010 threequel, all of Andy's remaining toys get trapped in a daycare run by a tyrannical teddy bear and so they plan to break out and return home.

The reason I bring up the Toy Story trilogy is because that the two sequels at least try evolving and taking risks in their storytelling. Equestria Girls is constantly spinning in its wheels, and it's become stagnant to the point it leaves me wondering how people are willing to accept the same story repackaged slightly every time; it's the Hasbro equivalent to the Thomas Creator Collective. They need to stop reusing the same story over and over again, try new things, cut the gimmicks, and for the love of God, stop using the baddie redemption trope!

If you liked the special - as well as EG in general these days - good for you; you're in the majority. This special as it stands just isn't for me, and I'm absolutely baffled it's still going on even to this day!