My Little Pony Friendship is Magic

Favourite pony out of the main bunch?

  • Twilight Sparkle

    Votes: 25 16.6%

  • Pinkie Pie

    Votes: 29 19.2%

  • Applejack

    Votes: 13 8.6%

  • Rainbow Dash

    Votes: 30 19.9%

  • Rarity

    Votes: 18 11.9%

  • Fluttershy

    Votes: 36 23.8%
  • Total voters
    151
@Zelda and Tri You're on your way to reaching my favorite episode of the show!
 
Great to see you, everyone. Last night, I saw Appleoosa's Most Wanted, Make New Friends but Keep Discord, and The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone.

Appleoosa's Most Wanted starts off with the CMC heading to the town for their annual rodeo. As they explore the sights, the trio of fillies consider entering one of the events to earn their Cutie Marks. However, a mysterious hoofprint is left behind, which makes Sheriff Sliver Star increase security around the village. AJ is practicing for the hay bale stacking event, while an injured Braeburn watches her. A few minutes later, the fillies return with some souvenirs, but AJ scolds them for wandering off.

Apple Bloom asks if her group could participate in one of the events, but a stack of hay bales topple over, nearly injuring the ponies. Silver Star finds another hoofprint and deduces it to be the work of Trouble Shoes, a notorious outlaw within the village. At first, he considers canceling the rodeo, but instead decides to have it go on as planned, much to every pony's relief. After hearing about Trouble Shoes, AJ and the CMC contemplate returning to Ponyville. However, Braeburn promises to keep watch over the fillies while AJ competes.

Later that night, Braeburn falls asleep, and the CMC sneak out of the window to try finding Trouble Shoes. As they go into the woods, Sweetie Belle starts to have second thoughts about her friends' idea, and eventually get caught in a rainstorm. Back in Appleoosa, AJ is informed of the fillies disappearance by Braeburn. Silver Star thinks Trouble Shoes kidnapped them, and they head into the forest to rescue the fillies. Meanwhile, the CMC find shelter in a trolley, only to get startled by Trouble Shoes himself.

Soon after, the CMC see how much of a klutz Trouble Shoes is and believe that he isn't really causing any harm. He tells them to leave so his bad luck doesn't spread, but because they don't know the way back to Appleoosa, he decides to take them there. The fillies wonder why Trouble Shoes is acting nice, and he tells them that as a young colt, he wanted to be a rodeo star. However, all of his attempts lead to humiliation. Though he abandoned his dreams, he still liked to watch the event, but his bad luck caused misfortune every time.

After hearing his backstory, the CMC realize that Trouble Shoes has been looking at his Cutie Mark the wrong way, and that he could still become a rodeo clown if he tried hard enough. However, Silver Star locks him up before anything major gets revealed. The next morning, the fillies attempt to plead Trouble Shoes as innocent, but AJ doesn't buy it and leaves for the rodeo. The CMC head to Silver Star's office, where Sweetie Belle uses her magic to move the jail cell's keys, while Apple Bloom distracts the sheriff.

After releasing Trouble Shoes, the fillies bring Trouble Shoes to the rodeo disguised as a clown. They watch AJ compete in the hay stacking event. After her victory, a bunch of rodeo clowns appear, and the CMC convince Trouble Shoes to join in their routine. Despite his initial hesitation, he ends up winning over the audience. However, after a few minutes, his identity is exposed, much to the shock of the Applesoosians. The CMC defend him, saying that his past mistakes were just accidents. Trouble Shoes admits responsbility for his actions and apologizes.

Afterwards, the CMC tell AJ that Trouble Shoes never abducted them the previous night. Although they feel disappointed about not receiving their Cutie Marks, the fillies are glad that they helped someone who needed it. However, as punishment for wandering off again, they are forced to clean up the rodeo grounds.

I thought Appleoosa's Most Wanted was an alright episode. It certainly had some humorous moments, and Trouble Shoes was a compelling character with a touching backstory. The lesson was handled nicely, but I wish AJ had more involvement beyond competing in the rodeo, since she could've helped the CMC in trying to prove Trouble Shoes' innocence.

Make New Friends, but Keep Discord begins at Fluttershy's Cottage. She and Discord are enjoying an afternoon of tea as they reminisce upon their past experiences. As they chat, Fluttershy tells Discord that she made a new friend named Tree Hugger during a visit to the Breezie's dimension. She also mentions that she'd love to see her at the Grand Galloping Gala, to which Discord assumes she invited him as a plus one. But to his shock, Fluttershy replies that she already invited Tree Hugger. Fluttershy thought Discord might have his ticket already, since he's friends with Celestia now. But Discord leaves, trying to play off his disappointment.

Discord's first stop is the Castle of Friendship, where he startles Spike by waking him up. The young dragon informs him that Twilight is away in Canterlot, so Discord disappears out of the castle. At Carousel Boutique, Rarity is designing outfits for the CMC, who are going to the gala for the first time. Applejack is amazed with Apple Bloom's new dress, but the fillies are soon frightened by Discord, who asks them if they have tickets to the event. Rarity informs him that the CMC are going as her, AJ, and Rainbow's plus ones, much to his frustration.

At Sugarcube Corner, Discord orders a bunch of cakes from Pinkie Pie, but upon seeing Fluttershy and Tree Hugger together outside, becomes furious. As she packs the cakes, Pinkie tells Discord that she invited Maud as her plus one, leaving him to storm out of the shop without any pastries. Afterwards, Fluttershy introduces Tree Hugger to Discord, but his jealousy makes their first meeting shortlived. Back in Discord's dimension, as he takes care of the chores, a stallion floats by with a delivery from Celestia. Discord asks him why the mail is late, to which he replies that he got lost along the way.

After receiving his tickets, Discord thinks about who he should invite on such short notice. Meanwhile, in Canterlot, Celestia thanks Twilight for her assistance with the preparations. A grey stallion announces Discord's arrival, as well as the debut of a slimy, green creature known as the Smooze. As the ponies are disgusted by its appearance, Twilight warns Discord to keep it under control. After Rarity and her friends arrive, Discord sees Fluttershy chatting with Tree Hugger at a table. The timid pegasus doesn't notice him at first, but as he introduces her and Tree Hugger to Smooze, he is unable to keep his friend in line.

Discord tries to get Smooze away from him by locking it outside. Afterwards, he tells Tree Hugger about the time he and Fluttershy got two cakes instead of one. However, Twilight hears a knock on the door and sees Rarity covered in slime from the Smooze. Furious, Twilight scolds Discord for neglecting his friend. Trying to get everything under control, Discord leaves Smooze behind in a room filled with jewels and gold. He then tries getting Fluttershy's attention by performing a comedy routine, which is poorly received. Twilight then notices a huge amount of slime emerging from the door.

As the Smooze floods the gala floor in slime, Twilight and Celestia attempt to use their magic on it, but to no avail. As Fluttershy and Tree Hugger cling to a wall, the green earth pony senses that the Smooze might be agitated, and uses vocal therapy to calm him down. The Smooze disappates, making Discord fed up with Tree Hugger. He opens up a portal, threatening to banish her within. But Fluttershy, on her last nerve, tells him to stop. Discord thinks she abandoned him in favor of Tree Hugger, but Fluttershy asserts that just because she invited someone else doesn't mean they aren't friends anymore, and that people can have many friends for different reasons.

Afterwards, Discord realizes his mistake, closing off the dimensional portal and reducing the Smooze's size. He apologizes to both Tree Hugger and Smooze, thinking that he might grow to like this multiple friend thing. Soon after, Pinkie invites Smooze to dance with her while Twilight reconciles with Celestia. To her surprise, she reveals that this gala was the most fun one yet, and encourages the event to continue as the story comes to a close.

During this second watch, my opinions on Make New Friends but Keep Discord didn't change too much. I still thought it was a pretty fun episode, with lots of humorous moments and a well-written moral. However, I did end up liking Tree Hugger a lot more compared to my first viewing, where I couldn't really understand her eccentricness. I still think this is a great story, and I was glad that my thoughts changed at least a little this time around.

The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone starts off at Sugarcube Corner, where Pinkie Pie and Gummy are baking a cake together. As they prepare the treats, her Cutie Mark begins to glow, and she heads off to the Castle of Friendship, leaving Gummy to finish the recipe. When Pinkie arrives, Twilight feels excited, telling her and Rainbow Dash that the Cutie Map is calling them towards Griffonstone. Twilight is fascinated with the history of the kingdom, but Rainbow is uninterested because of how Gilda treated Pinkie and the other ponies in the past.

According to Twilight, Griffonstone has a rich history centered around the Idol of Boreas. Although she is disappointed that the map didn't summon her, she is confident that Pinkie and Rainbow will solve the problem on their own. On their way to the kingdom, Rainbow tells Pinkie that Twilight gave them a book detailing where they need to go and what they should do within the area. Upon their arrival, they find that the kingdom has become tarnished. Rainbow meets up with Glida, who still has a grudge with her. The ponies also encounter Grandpa Gruff, who agrees to relay the history of their society, for a few bits.

Gruff explains that Griffonstone was once a grand city of proud and united citizens thanks to the Idol of Boreas. However, during the reign of King Guto, a creature known as Arimaspi stole the artifact. Eventually, the creature fell into the Abysmal Abyss, taking the idol with it. This caused Griffonstone to fall into a state of misery, losing their pride in the process. After the story, Pinkie expesses her sadness, while Rainbow believes that they were sent to restore the kingdom's glory by recovering the idol. But while Rainbow plans an expedition into the abyss, Pinkie decides to travel to the Griffonstone Library.

Rainbow quickly finds a shop, but is forced to deal with a bit-hungry griffon. Meanwhile, Pinkie finds the Library to be in a similar state to the kingdom itself. As she talks with Gilda, she finds out that the town has no pastries, singing, or party stores, much to her displeasure. All the kingdom has are Griffon Scones, but due to their terrible taste, Pinkie offers to fix them up with her baking powder. The smell of the scones cause a green Griffon named Greta to fall out of the sky. Gilda helps her, allowing Pinkie to see a nicer side to her. However, Gilda insists that the Griffons don't need friends.

As Gilda laments her past friendship with Rainbow, Pinkie heads to the abyss to look for her. Meahwhile, Rainbow and the shopkeeper approach the cliff, but as she asks for assistance, the shopkeeper's demanding of more bits forces her to fall into it and yell for help. A few minutes later, Pinkie sees Ranbow in the abyss and rushes back into the kingdom, hoping to get assistance from Gilda. When Pinkie returns, Gilda is uninterested in helping Rainbow at first. But Pinkie encourages her to remember a time when they were friends, causing the griffon to reminisce about her past.

During her time at Junior Speedsters Flight Camp, Gilda was bullied for her lack of flight. But Rainbow stuck up for her, allowing them to become close allies. After the story, Gilda, in tears, reluctantly agrees to help her friend. Soon after, Pinkie and Gilda return to the abyss and rescue Rainbow. As she is saved, Gilda sees the artifact and tries to grab it. But as Pinkie loses her grip, she realizes how much the ponies mean to her, and pulls them up to safety, causing the idol to fall further into the abyss.

After their rescue, Gilda apologizes for how she treated Pinkie and Rainbow in the past. As the speedy pegasus laments that the kingdom will never be restored, the party loving earth pony believes they were not sent to recover the idol, but replace it with something better: friendship. They encourage Gilda to spread it across the kingdom, allowing her to befriend Greta in the process. As the two ponies leave Griffonstone, Pinkie wonders how her cake is coming along. The episode ends with Gummy in the same position as he was when Pinkie left.

I thought The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone was a really exciting episode. The lesson was well-written, and I felt like Gilda became a lot more likeable of a character, especially with her backstory and how she saves Rainbow and Pinkie in the end. I also liked that this episode revealed a decent amount of lore about the griffons, since we didn't see them after the fifth episode of Season 1, which was really refreshing, allowing new life to be breathed into them as characters.
 
How's everyone doing? Last night, I saw Slice of Life, Princess Spike, and Party Pooped.

Slice of Life felt like a love letter to the fans of the show, since it focused on characters besides The Mane Six, Spike, or the CMC. It starts off with Cranky Doodle Donkey and Matilda preparing for their wedding day. Cranky mentions that the citizens were concerned, even though the event isn't until the following day. However, Matilda discovers a mistake and finds out that the wedding is early. While she runs off to find a planner for the big day, Cranky complains about the misprint in front of Derpy, who offers him a muffin from her basket.

Later, Derpy has lunch with Dr. Hooves. She tells him that in getting the invites for cheap, she hired a colt with no experience using a printing press. They head into Hooves' laboratory, where he chats about science as Derpy finds herself mesmerized in curiosity. After she reminds him of the wedding, he heads off to Carousel Boutique to find Rarity. When he arrives, he sees DJ Pon-3, who leads him to a bowling alley. A well-dressed Stallion named Letrotski agrees to tailor his suit if he helps his team win the game. Hooves is initially unsure, but agrees after Letrotski fills him in on an easy strategy.

Back in Ponyville, the Mane Six are attacked by a Bugbear as Matilda sees Amethyst Star, whom she asks to organize the wedding in place of Pinkie Pie. As they dash to the salon, Derpy wonders how she can help. She tries to get flowers from Lily Valley, Rose, and Daisy, who are so flustered that they can't prepare a bouquet. Meanwhile, at the town hall, Lyra and Sweetie Drops are decorating for the wedding. As they chat, Sweetie Drops reveals her secret identity. This makes Lyra feel heartbroken, but Sweetie Drops assures her that their friendship can continue as she tries to blend in with the crowd.

Meanwhile, at the bowling alley, Derpy flies in and tells Hooves that she has decided to use his fireless fireworks in place of flowers. He ends up making Letrotski's team lose their game as he warns Derpy about their volatileness. At the salon, Matilda encounters Steven Magnet, who tells he that during his adventures with Cranky, the one thing he cared about was finding her. This delights Matilda, but she feels uneasy when Steven reminds her that the wedding is everything.

Meanwhile, at Octavia's house, as she practices with DJ Pon-3, she feels that traditional wedding music is too dull for the celebration. She tries helping by providing a tune to accompany her music, but it sounds off-key at first. But after they try a different song, they start playing well together, so much so, that Octvavia gets carried away. They decide to head through Ponyville using DJ's sound system, picking up various ponies, as well as Cranky and Matilda along the way. As they crash into the town hall, Gummy contemplates the meaning of life, and the ceremony is about to begin.

At the ceremony, Celestia and Luna argue over a wedding gift as Cadence cheers up Shining Armor. Dr. Hooves arrives wearing a scarf, Derpy arranges the fireworks, Lyra and Sweetie Drops repair their friendship, and Steven gives Cranky a new toupee. Soon after, Derpy closes the door, denying the Mane Six from entry. Mayor Mare talks about how love brought everypony together as she weds Matilda and Cranky. When they kiss, the fireworks ignite, exciting Dr. Hooves. Outside the hall, Twilight reminds her pals of how fortunate they are to live in Ponyville as the story concludes.

I thought Slice of Life was a great love letter to the fans of MLP. It was nice to see so many different characters sharing the spotlight as The Mane Six took a backseat in terms of focus. However, some of them had better writing compared to others. I also think that some of the animation sequences are well done, specifically when DJ Pon-3 and Octavia are performing together.

Princess Spike starts off at Canterlot Castle, where the Grand Equestria Pony Summit is about to begin. Spike marvels over a large statue made of gemstones from all of the different communities. As Twilight welcomes the guests, Cadence notices that she hasn't gotten any sleep for three days. To help keep the event organized, she asks Spike to make sure Twilight isn't disturbed as she gets her rest. Spike agrees, and looks over the town with his telescope. He finds a red bird chirping outside, and after he makes it fly away from Twilight, he continues to keep watch.

Afterwards, Spike stops a group of ponies from playing croquet, as well as a landscaper from cutting down Dragon Sneeze trees, and a maintenance worker from repairing a water main. As he enjoys a gemstone, a mare and a stallion ask him to speak to Twilight about scheduling conflicts for their speeches. But due to her slumber, he suggests that they share the space. Later on, more ponies ask for Twilight's help, so Spike answers their questions on her behalf. After his task is completed, he decides to help Twilight with some of her meetings.

Spike's first meeting is with the pony who constructed the statue. After he helps her out, the maintenance worker asks about the water main again, but Spike still doesn't want the repairs accomplished. Later, Cadence arrives and asks how everything is going. Spike assures that everything is under control, but Cadence isn't so sure. Using Twilight's status to his benefit, Spike relishes in the perks of royalty. However, a ball from the croquet game knocks over some Dragon Sneeze Trees, destroying the water main in the process.

As the castle begins to flood, Cadence uses her magic to shut off the main. When the water dissipates, a Dragon Sneeze petal causes Spike to destroy the statue. Soon after, a plethora of frustrated ponies surround Spike. He tells them that she's still sleeping, but as he escapes, Twilight finally wakes up. She is confused as to what's been going on, but suspects Spike might be responsible for the commotion. At the hall, he confesses that while he did enjoy being treated like royalty and knowing his opinions mattered, he made the celebration all about himself in the process.

After his apology, the ponies help Spike reassemble the statue and restore the summit hall. One of the guests gives Spike a bouquet of Dragon Sneeze flowers, and the story concludes before the statue is destroyed again.

I thought Princess Spike failed on many levels. Not only was Spike acting narcissistic, but he also made a lot of stupid decisions like in Spike At Your Service and Just For Sidekicks. I also thought that the lesson was kind of overexplained, and that Princess Cadence should have kept a closer eye on Spike so he didn't cause so much trouble. It's worse than Dragon Quest and Equestria Games, that's for sure.

Party Pooped has an unusual cause of regional censorship. Specifically, I've heard that this is the only episode of the show Treehouse TV never aired, mainly due to its title being too gross for the younger audiences watching it. Nevertheless, I decided to continue on with my viewing regardless of this issue, knowing that opinions are stronger than censorship.

At the Castle of Friendship, Twilight is nervous about the arrival of Yakyakistanions. She hopes to make a good first impression, knowing that Celestia is counting on her. When the yaks arrive, she offers them a table of traditional Yakyakistan cuisine, but to her surprise, the yaks hate the food, and begin to destroy the palace. As she and her friends clean up, Twilight asks Pinkie Pie to help make the yaks feel at home before the welcome party begins that evening.

Pinkie's first stop is Sweet Apple Acres, where she helps Applejack make hay beds for the yaks. But after a few minutes, the yaks destroy the mattresses. On a picnic with Fluttershy, she has her animal friends wear fake antlers, but after one of the ducklings trips over a pebble, the yaks chase after the animals. At Carousel Boutique, Rarity tries giving the yaks some fabric from the Crystal Empire, but they wreck her display. Even Rainbow Dash destroys a cloud to create some snow, but the yaks aren't impressed.

Back at the castle, the group hold a meeting to discuss how poorly things have been going for their guests. Pinkie decides to take the party planning into her own hands. After arriving at Sugarcube Corner, she chats with Gummy, eventually getting an idea. Twilight and co. check on her, when Gummy spits out a note saying she'll be back in time for the party. However, the desserts Mrs. Cake made for the yaks aren't received well, causing Twilight to get even more nervous.

Meanwhile, Pinkie embarks on a journey to Yakyakistan, but the train stops at a junction because of some sheep crossing. There, she runs into Cherry Jubilee, who's making a delivery to the Crystal Empire, offering to give her a ride. Midway through the trip, Cherry falls asleep, causing their cart to fall into a pit. Back in Ponyville, Spike attempts to appease the yaks by playing piano. But after he steps away from the keys, they discover it is playing by itself. This causes them to become so furious, they not only leave Ponyville, but declare war on Equestria due to how poorly they were treated.

After a long journey, Pinkie eventually makes it to Equestria's northern border, with the guidance of Cadence. As she continues her travels, Twilight and co. find a trapdoor within Sugarcube Corner. Back in the northern border, Pinkie encounters a yeti-baboon hybrid, but quickly hitches a ride on a sled with a young yak. But just before she can enter the gates, the sled slides back all the way to Ponyville, effectively making Pinkie's journey a wasted effort.

Back at Sugarcube Corner, Twilight and co. are exploring the secret party cave. They find files for lots of different ponies, cataloging their interests, as well as loads of party supplies. Pinkie hears her friends talking and slides down, thinking her journey has made her a failure. However, her friends assure her feelings, and she recalls the ponies who helped her along the way, allowing her to get another idea. Luckily, the yaks can't leave Ponyville because of sheep crossing, giving Pinkie time to help overhaul the party plans.

During the celebration, Pinkie apologizes to the yaks, saying that instead of trying to make Equestria feel like their home, she and her friends should have shown off what made Equestria special so they can understand why the ponies enjoy living there. The yaks are moved by Pinkie's apology, calling off their declaration of war. This allows the ponies and yaks to become friends, and Pinkie seals the deal with a very strong hug.

I thought Party Pooped was a pretty good episode. While I didn't like that Twilight was making some stupid decisions in handling the yaks' welcome to Ponyville, I thought Pinkie's journey allowed her to realize how far she's come since the beginning of the show. There were certainly some fun scenes, including the sleigh ride, and Pinkie's brief musical career being a Beatles reference. I'm proud that I'm one of the few Canadians who saw this episode outside of clips or pictures, and feel that Treehouse TV should have gave this story a proper chance, even if its title sounded gross.
 
Hey guys. Last night I saw Amending Fences, Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep?, and Carousel Boutique.

I thought Amending Fences was a very eye-opening episode. I really felt bad for Moon Dancer, who reminds me of how deeply attached I was to studying during my high school years. I liked that Twilight didn't force her to be happy, nor did she brush off her mistakes like they didn't matter. I also thought their bond seemed quite genuine, even if it was damaged at the beginning. And Twilight's other friends were fun supporting characters as well.

I thought Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep? was a very fun episode that utlized the aspects of the dream world in unique forms. I loved the callbacks to Power Ponies, Bats!, and A Dog and Pony Show, as well as how ponies like Scootaloo and Big Mac transformed as they helped fight the Tantabus. The Tantabus was a very frightening creature, and a lot of the nightmares The Mane Six had felt genuinely terrifying.

I also liked how guilty Princess Luna felt after her reign as Nightmare Moon came to an end. There are some people who use harmful things in order to make themselves feel better about past mistakes in their life. I think everypony convincing her to move on from her past was a heartwarming thing to do, allowing her to finally be at peace with her past and continue helping others with their dreams.

I liked a lot of the dress designs in Carousel Boutique, and thought that they were some of the most regal and exquistite fashion pieces Rarity has ever produced. While I liked Sassy Saddles' appearance, I felt that she was trying to not only take credit for Rarity's designs, but also make the business all about herself. I thought Rarity's song was quite catchy, but also sorrowful at certain points, in a good way. I felt bad for her when Sassy prioritized the Princess Dress over Rarity's other designs, thinking that Twilight's status was enough to make it the one dress the store offered.

One thing I adored was how Rarity stood up to Sassy Saddles by selling off her other designs at the going out of business sale, while also discontinuing the Princess Dress entirely. It shows how independant Rarity is as a person while also not feeling too forced. I liked how a lot of the ponies reacted to the other dress designs as well, allowing her to showcase her own methods of creating unique designs better than any assembly line could accomplish.
 
Great to see you guys. Last night, I saw Rarity Investigates!, Made In Manehatten, and Brotherhooves Social.

I thought Rarity Investigates played into the spirit of a mystery/detective episode quite nicely. I found the story to be quite engaging, with Rarity using her sweet-talking to her advantage and displaying a good amount of chemistry with Rainbow Dash. Rarity's detective outfit looked quite nice, and I loved the black and white visuals that appeared whenever she was getting into character. However, I didn't like Wind Rider's personality too much, mainly because he wanted to preserve his record by keeping Spitfire away from her routine and framing Rainbow when she didn't do anything wrong.

Despite that, I found this story to be quite entertaining, so much so, that I lowered my rankings for Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep and Canterlot Boutique from their initial S ranking (which was very generous), to a more fitting B rank. In turn, I gave Rarity Investigates an S ranking for being a fun episode that kept my interest with a well-written story that fit Rarity's personality to a T.

I found Made in Manehatten to be a decent story. However, I thought the amount of effort they put into the location in Rarity Takes Manehatten is missing a fair bit here. While I loved seeing Coco Pommel's return, I didn't like how most of the citizens of Manehatten were rude, cruel, and unhelpful towards Rarity and Applejack. I also thought that the sequence where Applejack tried to fix the park reminded me of how she overworked herself in Applebuck Season.

I also thought that while the idea of setting up a small stage in the streets of the city was cute, the fact that this meant not seeing the park restored as well as the costume designs being unseen was disappointing. I could still see this story working, but it's not as grand as Rarity Takes Manehatten, nor does it go the extra mile like it did in terms of writing and fashion design.

I thought Brotherhooves Social missed the mark for me. It seems like a good idea on paper, having an episode where Apple Bloom and Big Mac spend some time together and learn how important older siblings are within their family. But the way Big Mac tried to disguise himself as Cousin Orchard Blossom gives off the wrong message. I've already said that I don't mind male characters dressed in female clothing or having feminine hobbies, but the execution here feels so off-putting.

Cousin Orchard Blossom embarrasses not only Apple Bloom, but also pretty much the rest of the ponies at the event. This is to the point where Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Rainbow Dash see through the costume right away. She makes her fail at most of the events, and during the race, she uses brute force to ensure that the victory will go to her and Apple Bloom. However, during this process, she not only loses a lot of her costume parts, but she also hurts other ponies in the process, disqualifying her and Apple Bloom from the event altogether.

I also felt that Sisterhooves Social had a similar premise with a lot more polished execution by having Rarity disguise herself as Applejack so she could still participate without the thought of getting dirty. Rarity also didn't cheat at all during the event, making Big Mac's attempt at doing so feel forced in comparison. The ending fell short as well, since Apple Bloom brushes off their disqualification entirely, making it seem like she didn't see the repercussions of Big Mac's actions and in turn didn't learn anything other than appreciating him on the same level as Applejack.
 
Toadettefan said:
Great to see you guys. Last night, I saw Rarity Investigates!, Made In Manehatten, and Brotherhooves Social.

I thought Rarity Investigates played into the spirit of a mystery/detective episode quite nicely. I found the story to be quite engaging, with Rarity using her sweet-talking to her advantage and displaying a good amount of chemistry with Rainbow Dash. Rarity's detective outfit looked quite nice, and I loved the black and white visuals that appeared whenever she was getting into character. However, I didn't like Wind Rider's personality too much, mainly because he wanted to preserve his record by keeping Spitfire away from her routine and framing Rainbow when she didn't do anything wrong.

Despite that, I found this story to be quite entertaining, so much so, that I lowered my rankings for Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep and Canterlot Boutique from their initial S ranking (which was very generous), to a more fitting B rank. In turn, I gave Rarity Investigates an S ranking for being a fun episode that kept my interest with a well-written story that fit Rarity's personality to a T.

I found Made in Manehatten to be a decent story. However, I thought the amount of effort they put into the location in Rarity Takes Manehatten is missing a fair bit here. While I loved seeing Coco Pommel's return, I didn't like how most of the citizens of Manehatten were rude, cruel, and unhelpful towards Rarity and Applejack. I also thought that the sequence where Applejack tried to fix the park reminded me of how she overworked herself in Applebuck Season.

I also thought that while the idea of setting up a small stage in the streets of the city was cute, the fact that this meant not seeing the park restored as well as the costume designs being unseen was disappointing. I could still see this story working, but it's not as grand as Rarity Takes Manehatten, nor does it go the extra mile like it did in terms of writing and fashion design.

I thought Brotherhooves Social missed the mark for me. It seems like a good idea on paper, having an episode where Apple Bloom and Big Mac spend some time together and learn how important older siblings are within their family. But the way Big Mac tried to disguise himself as Cousin Orchard Blossom gives off the wrong message. I've already said that I don't mind male characters dressed in female clothing or having feminine hobbies, but the execution here feels so off-putting.

Cousin Orchard Blossom embarrasses not only Apple Bloom, but also pretty much the rest of the ponies at the event. This is to the point where Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Rainbow Dash see through the costume right away. She makes her fail at most of the events, and during the race, she uses brute force to ensure that the victory will go to her and Apple Bloom. However, during this process, she not only loses a lot of her costume parts, but she also hurts other ponies in the process, disqualifying her and Apple Bloom from the event altogether.

I also felt that Sisterhooves Social had a similar premise with a lot more polished execution by having Rarity disguise herself as Applejack so she could still participate without the thought of getting dirty. Rarity also didn't cheat at all during the event, making Big Mac's attempt at doing so feel forced in comparison. The ending fell short as well, since Apple Bloom brushes off their disqualification entirely, making it seem like she didn't see the repercussions of Big Mac's actions and in turn didn't learn anything other than appreciating him on the same level as Applejack.
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I'm glad you enjoyed Rarity Investigates, as a huge Rarity fan I thought it was very iconic and fun.
As for Wind Rider's personality, I can see why you dislike him, but I feel he's supposed to be a dislikeable character because he's the main villain of the episode's story so it didn't bother me that he was very selfish and dishonest.

I can definitely get your criticisms with Made in Manehattan, even if I still loved the episode regardless (maybe just because I love Rarity and her dynamic with Applejack, and was happy to see Coco Pommel again haha)

It's interesting to see your perspective on my least favourite episode Brotherhooves Social, Toadettefan. It sounds like you weren't a fan of it either.

I agree the execution of Big Mac's cross-dressing was really off-putting and further to your points I also felt uncomfortable watching this episode as a trans woman because it reminded me too much of anti-trans portrayals of trans women in media: Big Mac pretends to be a mare in order to get into a "sisters" sports competition and spoils the competition for everypony else due to his strength/size/speed, the episode deliberately draws attention to Orchard's "masculine" features in order to make a joke of her being unable to pass as female, an (implied straight) male character being attracted to Orchard is treated as a joke, etc - all of which bear striking similarity to harmful anti-trans stereotypes about trans women. I don't believe that the episode had bad intentions against trans people, and recognise that Big Mac isn't actually written to be a trans woman outright, I just can't help feeling personally uncomfortable watching it because it just reminds me too much of transphobic stereotypes.

Moreover, I also felt uncomfortable because I felt very sorry for Big Mac who was constantly treated as the butt of jokes, and the pony who spoils the fun for everyone else, even though his intentions were wholesome all along. The episode has some redeeming factors, such as the judges mentioning that they have an inclusive definition of what it means to be a sister and as such it was Big Mac's behaviour that got him disqualified rather than his gender identity, but I don't feel these redeeming factors even come close to balancing out the parts I found uncomfortable to watch.

Your points of comparison to the previous episode Sisterhooves Social are also all very spot on (and interesting; some of these points I hadn't considered before) , and I definitely feel that Sisterhooves Social was a much more enjoyable episode than its successor.
 
Personally when it comes to Friendship Is Magic, I know this is an unpopular opinion (probably), but personally, I thought the entire show was good, even the later seasons that people seem to like to criticize because they may have not been as high quality, but anyway yeah I enjoyed ALL of it, even the later seasons. I think the whole thing was fantastic. Also one other thing I wish the poll would let you vote for more than one pony because I like three of the main characters the best-Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack. So it'd be nice for me to be able to vote for all three.
 
Toadettefan said:
Great to see you guys. Last night, I saw Rarity Investigates!, Made In Manehatten, and Brotherhooves Social.

I thought Rarity Investigates played into the spirit of a mystery/detective episode quite nicely. I found the story to be quite engaging, with Rarity using her sweet-talking to her advantage and displaying a good amount of chemistry with Rainbow Dash. Rarity's detective outfit looked quite nice, and I loved the black and white visuals that appeared whenever she was getting into character. However, I didn't like Wind Rider's personality too much, mainly because he wanted to preserve his record by keeping Spitfire away from her routine and framing Rainbow when she didn't do anything wrong.

Despite that, I found this story to be quite entertaining, so much so, that I lowered my rankings for Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep and Canterlot Boutique from their initial S ranking (which was very generous), to a more fitting B rank. In turn, I gave Rarity Investigates an S ranking for being a fun episode that kept my interest with a well-written story that fit Rarity's personality to a T.

I found Made in Manehatten to be a decent story. However, I thought the amount of effort they put into the location in Rarity Takes Manehatten is missing a fair bit here. While I loved seeing Coco Pommel's return, I didn't like how most of the citizens of Manehatten were rude, cruel, and unhelpful towards Rarity and Applejack. I also thought that the sequence where Applejack tried to fix the park reminded me of how she overworked herself in Applebuck Season.

I also thought that while the idea of setting up a small stage in the streets of the city was cute, the fact that this meant not seeing the park restored as well as the costume designs being unseen was disappointing. I could still see this story working, but it's not as grand as Rarity Takes Manehatten, nor does it go the extra mile like it did in terms of writing and fashion design.

I thought Brotherhooves Social missed the mark for me. It seems like a good idea on paper, having an episode where Apple Bloom and Big Mac spend some time together and learn how important older siblings are within their family. But the way Big Mac tried to disguise himself as Cousin Orchard Blossom gives off the wrong message. I've already said that I don't mind male characters dressed in female clothing or having feminine hobbies, but the execution here feels so off-putting.

Cousin Orchard Blossom embarrasses not only Apple Bloom, but also pretty much the rest of the ponies at the event. This is to the point where Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Rainbow Dash see through the costume right away. She makes her fail at most of the events, and during the race, she uses brute force to ensure that the victory will go to her and Apple Bloom. However, during this process, she not only loses a lot of her costume parts, but she also hurts other ponies in the process, disqualifying her and Apple Bloom from the event altogether.

I also felt that Sisterhooves Social had a similar premise with a lot more polished execution by having Rarity disguise herself as Applejack so she could still participate without the thought of getting dirty. Rarity also didn't cheat at all during the event, making Big Mac's attempt at doing so feel forced in comparison. The ending fell short as well, since Apple Bloom brushes off their disqualification entirely, making it seem like she didn't see the repercussions of Big Mac's actions and in turn didn't learn anything other than appreciating him on the same level as Applejack.
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Alright since this thread has already been active I'll post my analysis here instead of your ask thread, although I was already considering phasing into doing that (I still will have a list of questions for you I'll post on your ask thread for each watch if I decide to do that)
I thought Rarity Investigates was really good too, as you get to see Rarity be competent about figuring out the mystery and it's done in a way that has a good number of funny moments. In terms of weak points though another one I found was that the episode should have had a bit more focus on an execution of a moral. I don't think Wind Rider's motivation was a flaw in and of itself but I think it would have been better if he was more charismatic as a character with more memorable lines and quirky traits. Aside from those two flaws though this was by far my favorite of these three Rarity episodes in a row.
I found Made In Manehattan to be fine but mostly forgettable as well. I did like the moral of learning to focus on what you can do as opposed to what you can't, and I thought it was clever how the environment was utilized as well. But I felt like there wasn't near as much fun or comedy as there should have been. I actually found Coco Pommel's role to be flawed to an extent as well for reasons related to this, as I always wanted the episode to do more with her than just mostly set up the episode's events, even though she isn't exactly written distastefully to her role in Rarity Takes Manehattan.
Brotherhooves Social I know this going to strongly be dissenting compared to you and MiracleDinner, although to be fair the episode was always polarizing where a lot of people loved it and other people didn't like at all, but I actually really liked the episode. I thought giving Big Mac a larger role including speaking a lot more was a fun addition that was great to come back later such as in future Discord episodes, I thought the comedy of Big Mac messing up in the events was pretty funny, and I liked that one gets to see him be more vulnerable in the ending and found it to be sweet that he finds out how much Apple Bloom still appreciates him. However, I do think your points about that it can feel disappointing for people who like Big Mac and would rather him succeed and that he should have gotten more consequences are interesting ones. MiracleDinner's points are good too; I admit that despite being LGBT I'm not transgender and that if I was I could have liked the episode either even more or a lot less because then it would be much more analyzable regarding how it compares to my personal experiences. (Although with the Discord School of Friendship episode being my least favorite I found it to be distasteful to personal experiences in a different way myself, specifically regarding its moral being to sometimes not leave out friends even if they act problematic, as I've had to deal with negative friends over a long term before.) I actually found Brotherhooves Social to be my favorite of these three episodes, although Rarity Investigates makes good sense as being your favorite as well.
 
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Great to see you guys. Last night, I saw Crusaders of the Lost Mark, The One Where Pinkie Pie Knows, and Hearthbreakers.

I remember Crusaders of the Lost Mark being the first episode of the series I watched before going through Seasons 8 and 9 back in 2022-2023. I still think it's quite a solid episode after seeing it a second time. The songs are catchy, and none of them seem to drag on for too long. I also think the story is pretty neat as well, with the CMC discovering their true talents by helping Diamond Tiara change her attitude for the better.

However, one opinion of mine that did change was the desire to see her and Silver Spoon in future episodes. While during my first viewing I didn't care whether they returned or not, on the second, I wished they could've done more with the two characters after this episode, since we never get to see them interact with the CMC again. Sure, it's nice to give certain characters a backseat in favor of newer, fresher faces, but I think if Diamond Tiara was in later episodes, she would've struck a balance by not only giving the group some animosity, but also continue to learn new things about herself that she never knew before.

I thought The One Where Pinkie Pie Knows was quite forgetable. While it did have a lot of humorous moments, and the scavenger hunt scene was a lot of fun, I felt that Pinkie's antics were quite hard to sit through. I know she's one of my favorite characters and usually, episodes with her in a staring role (besides Baby Cakes and Feeling Pinkie Keen), tend to rank at B or higher. But here, her attempts to keep a secret are poorly written, and there are times where a joke or two fall flat, like when Pinkie is rushing through her Pinkie Promises.

I also think the secret being a foreshadow to Season 6's events was too forced for my liking. The mention of Cadence being pregnant as well as multiple baby items and ponies being present made this reveal way too obvious. And considering how much most fans including myself don't care for Flurry Heart, I also felt that any mention of her could've been saved for Season 6 proper. That way, her future first appearance would've had a lot more anticipation behind it.

This was also my second viewing of Hearthbreakers, since my first one happened during the 2023 holiday season alongside both Hearth's Warming Eve and A Hearth's Warming Tale. But this viewing is the first time I gave it a proper ranking. I thought this episode was quite fun, as it not only expanded on Pinkie's potential relation to the Apple Family in Pinkie Apple Pie, but also allowed her own family to form a bond with Applejack's. I also liked how the Pie family members personalities were expanded here, since it made their parts in the story feel more realized.

While there were some traditions Pinkie had that weren't fun, I think Applejack should've thought a little before forcing her own traditions onto the Pie Family. However, I do like how she reconciled with Pinkie after unexpectantly receiving a present from her. It not only made her learn from her mistakes in a sweet way, but also allowed them to create new traditions together as an extended family.
 
This was interesting to read and a fair appraisal of all three episodes, Toadettefan. I'm a huge fan of Crusaders of the Lost Mark and especially its songs but definitely agree that Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon should have appeared in significant roles in later episodes rather than being relegated to pretty much background characters after this episode.
 
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Toadettefan said:
Great to see you guys. Last night, I saw Crusaders of the Lost Mark, The One Where Pinkie Pie Knows, and Hearthbreakers.

I remember Crusaders of the Lost Mark being the first episode of the series I watched before going through Seasons 8 and 9 back in 2022-2023. I still think it's quite a solid episode after seeing it a second time. The songs are catchy, and none of them seem to drag on for too long. I also think the story is pretty neat as well, with the CMC discovering their true talents by helping Diamond Tiara change her attitude for the better.

However, one opinion of mine that did change was the desire to see her and Silver Spoon in future episodes. While during my first viewing I didn't care whether they returned or not, on the second, I wished they could've done more with the two characters after this episode, since we never get to see them interact with the CMC again. Sure, it's nice to give certain characters a backseat in favor of newer, fresher faces, but I think if Diamond Tiara was in later episodes, she would've struck a balance by not only giving the group some animosity, but also continue to learn new things about herself that she never knew before.

I thought The One Where Pinkie Pie Knows was quite forgetable. While it did have a lot of humorous moments, and the scavenger hunt scene was a lot of fun, I felt that Pinkie's antics were quite hard to sit through. I know she's one of my favorite characters and usually, episodes with her in a staring role (besides Baby Cakes and Feeling Pinkie Keen), tend to rank at B or higher. But here, her attempts to keep a secret are poorly written, and there are times where a joke or two fall flat, like when Pinkie is rushing through her Pinkie Promises.

I also think the secret being a foreshadow to Season 6's events was too forced for my liking. The mention of Cadence being pregnant as well as multiple baby items and ponies being present made this reveal way too obvious. And considering how much most fans including myself don't care for Flurry Heart, I also felt that any mention of her could've been saved for Season 6 proper. That way, her future first appearance would've had a lot more anticipation behind it.

This was also my second viewing of Hearthbreakers, since my first one happened during the 2023 holiday season alongside both Hearth's Warming Eve and A Hearth's Warming Tale. But this viewing is the first time I gave it a proper ranking. I thought this episode was quite fun, as it not only expanded on Pinkie's potential relation to the Apple Family in Pinkie Apple Pie, but also allowed her own family to form a bond with Applejack's. I also liked how the Pie family members personalities were expanded here, since it made their parts in the story feel more realized.

While there were some traditions Pinkie had that weren't fun, I think Applejack should've thought a little before forcing her own traditions onto the Pie Family. However, I do like how she reconciled with Pinkie after unexpectantly receiving a present from her. It not only made her learn from her mistakes in a sweet way, but also allowed them to create new traditions together as an extended family.
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Yeah, I always loved everything about Crusaders of the Lost Mark, from the songs, to the twists and turns regarding the characters' motivations and feelings, to the feeling of everything being concluding seamlessly up to that point in the episodes with the CMC. I did agree that it would be interesting for Diamond Tiara to be in future episodes, although I would have had it be where while she still is not totally friendly with the CMC her hostility towards them is there but to a smaller extent than before. Such as that maybe they team up when they have to occasionally.

I do agree that The One Where Pinkie Pie Knows was distinctly the weakest of the three episodes, although for a slightly different reason which is that I felt how much the other characters constantly reference babies making it harder for Pinkie to keep the secret felt more over-the-top and stilted than funny more than I found Pinkie's writing to be the problem in and of itself. Even though that's still a similar shade to the flaws you found. With that said I still remember at least thinking the episode had some fun and liveliness to it, such as the animation and Shining Armor having funny reactions here. I also did like the buildup of Shining Armor and Cadence having a baby when I originally watched the episode, as it gave me something to look forward too, although part of it was that I was interested in them having a baby. So while calling it a good episode might be stretching it a bit too far I did think it was at least okay.

I agree Hearthbreakers was a pretty good episode, despite finding the Pie's traditions to be flawed in a different way than just not being fun too, as occasionally they weren't practical, such as that eating a rock like shown in the party can kill you in real life. (Even if it's implied the character's cartoony digestive systems could handle it as the Pies were still alive after eating them before, that should have been stated in the episode instead of implied.) I did think that the theme of over-the-top vastly different traditions occasionally was a bit similar to Party Pooped (and the same writer too) despite liking it more in general. That said, I liked that it introduced the Pie family in a way that gave them some distinct personalities in a way that paid off me wanting to know more about them. When rewatching, I also appreciated that it did have the characters try to make things up instead of ending on them just deciding everything was a lost cause. In general, I found the characters to be likable, such as Pinkie. So not amazing, but pretty good.
 
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