I've long held the idea of "old pony good" and "new pony bad", but the thing is that I haven't seen some of those seasons (4-6) in over two years. So now I'm on a journey to see if my old opinions still hold up. I'm gonna speed through 1-3 since that isn't really what I want to focus on.

 

SEASON 1:

OKAY SEASON

Pretty solid for the first outing. The thing about season 1 is that it relies a lot on its charm and cuteness factor. A lot of episodes are very laid back, though that can also be to their detriments. There's a lot of filler in a lot of episodes and it can get pretty boring at times. Still, the charm comes through in enough episodes for me to like the season overall.

TOP 5:

5. Suited For Success

4. Dragonshy

3. The Best Night Ever

2. The Cutie Mark Chronicles

1. Party of One

 

BOTTOM 5:

 5. Boast Busters

4. The Show Stoppers

3. Look Before You Sleep

2. Stare Master

1. Owl's Well That Ends Well

 

 

SEASON 2:

GOOD SEASON

This is a big improvement in pretty much every way. The plots are tighter, the comedy is stronger, and the characters are much more interesting. There are a lot of episodes where the mane six are forced to deal with one of their main character flaws head on. That doesn't always lead to good episodes, but I still respect what those episodes are trying to do. Also, Pinkie really shines here. Aside from Luna Eclipsed, she nails all of her appearances, and she's not even that bad in Luna Eclipsed. 

 

TOP 5:

5. Hearth's Warming Eve

4. Lesson Zero

3. It's About Time

2. Sisterhooves Social

1. The Last Roundup

 

BOTTOM 5:

5. May the Best Pet Win

4. Putting Your Hoof Down

3. The Cutie Pox

2. Dragon Quest

1. The Mysterious Mare Do Well

 

 

SEASON 3:

MEH SEASON

Welp. This a huge step down. Most of these episodes aren't very good, but I can be more lenient since the production was messy. That doesn't excuse some absolute disasters (including one of the only episodes that I outright hate), but I can't get that mad about the rest of the episodes. Besides, there's still one of the best episodes of the show.

 

TOP 3:

3. Just For Sidekicks

2. Too Many Pinkie Pies

1. Magic Duel

 

BOTTOM 3:

3. Magical Mystery Cure

2. Spike At Your Service

1. Keep Calm and Flutter On

 

SEASON 4:

MEH SEASON

Well that's unfortunate. I didn't set out to dislike this season, but I just didn't enjoy that many episodes here. There's nothing that I hate as much as Keep Calm and Flutter On (though Three's a Crowd comes close), but so many episodes are so flat and boring. 

I guess I'll start with the positives. For one, the visuals looks great. The bouncy and charming artstyle of the early years may be gone, but this isn't a bad replacement. There is some fantastic atmosphere is a lot of these episodes and the cinematography specifically got a huge upgrade. I never really appreciated specific shots before, but some of these shots are extremely pretty, especially in Castle Mane-ia.

I also like a lot of the ideas that this season brings to the show. I like a lot of the new creatures introduced and how they're introduced fairly naturally and some of the lore is also well implemented, specifically, again, in Castle Mane-ia. The whole Equestria Games arc is well paced and I think the games themselves are well handled in their big culminating episode. We get payoff from the set up in Rainbow Falls as well a look at ice archery which looks like a cool sport, all while keeping the episode character focused, which is the appeal of the show to me.

I'm also not inherently against the gimmick episodes. Having one of the characters turned into a bat, going on an adventure with Daring Do, and the mane six becoming superheroes are all cool ideas.

I also like a lot of the new characters introduced. Trenderhoof is funny, Suri Polomare is a good antagonist for Rarity, Maud is so good that she became a regular side character later into the show, and the Mane-iac is a great cheesy supervillain.

And a lot of the other episode ideas are great. Rarity's generosity being turned against her in a unique way compared to Suited For Success, a followup to Sisterhooves Social with an older Sweetie Belle, Pinkie maybe kinda sorta being related to the Apples, a look at Granny Smith without relying on flashbacks, and a couple others. These are all episode ideas that could've made for great stories.

Plus I have to mention Testing Testing 1, 2, 3. Easily the best episode of the season. Everyone is in character, there's no wasted time, the ending is clever and well foreshadowed, the comedy is consistently funny, and the moral is really good. This is like the Magic Duel of season 4. The episode that's miles above the rest in quality and makes everything else worth it.

But notice how most of these positives don't mention the meat of the episodes. That's because so many episodes miss their potential.

Starting with the gimmick episodes, I dislike all three of the ones I mentioned. Daring Don't makes Rainbow so unlikeable that it overshadows any fun that could come from the Daring Do adventure, Power Ponies has no fun with the mane six being superheroes, instead focusing on just playing out a generic superhero story with way too much exposition and a boring Spike plot, and Bats puts forth an argument between Applejack and Fluttershy that then gets ignored once Fluttershy becomes a bat. What's even the point of the argument when it goes nowhere and completely brushes off Applejack's side? The Flutterbat stuff isn't even fun since it's so bland and Flutterbat just acts like a normal vampire fruit bat instead of her personality mixing in with the fruit bat.

And while the Equestria Games arc itself is well paced and elements of it are well done, the cores of the episodes themselves are flawed. I like Flight to the Finish and Equestria Games, but both episodes suffer from significant pacing issues; especially Equestria Games. And the less said about Rainbow Falls the better.

Now I'm going to talk about those episode I ideas that I thought could make for good stories. I really do think Rarity Takes Manehattan had a lot of potential, but instead it feels like it's trying to speedrun an emotional arc. For Whom the Sweetie Belle Toils is actually pretty solid, but the dream goes on for a while and I still think Sweetie Belle's voice is annoying. I don't know why I hate her voice but I'm fine with all the screaming in Castle Mane-ia. I guess it's just a personal thing. Pinkie being related to the Apples is cool, but the episode itself is really boring. Leap of Faith is both brought up and hurt by the return of Flim and Flam. They have a good song, but the episode relies on Granny Smith forgetting the last Flim and Flam episode. Like, they straight up tried to run Granny Smith out of business. 

And now I'm going to talk about what might just be the biggest problem with this season. The comedy sucks. Having an episode with drama isn't a bad thing, but those episodes can still be funny. Remember Luna Eclipsed and Sisterhooves Social? That issue hurts quite a few episodes. Specifically Flight to the Finish and Twilight's Kingdom. And then there are episodes that are trying to be funny, but kinda fail. Simple Ways feels like Josh Haber had a couple scenes that he really wanted to write and didn't know how to connect those scenes together. There are specific scenes that are really funny and make me like the episode overall, but there are also a lot of scenes with dead air. Maud Pie is funny for a bit, but the dry humor is pretty much the only joke for a while and it gets old. Somepony to Watch Over Me pushes Applejack's behavior so far that she's more weird and confusing than funny. I could list more, but that'd be way too many episodes and this review is already long enough. And there are some episodes that don't have much drama yet don't attempt many jokes. For example, It Ain't Easy Being Breezies, which spends a lot of time lounging around in Fluttershy's cottage not doing anything when some jokes could've kept things moving before the action gets going again. The only episodes that really capture that balance between comedy and story are Filli Vanilli, Testing Testing, Castle Mane-ia, and Pinkie Pride.

In fact, Testing Testing, Castle Mane-ia, and Pinkie Pride are the only episodes that I would rewatch without wanting to skip anything. I'd include Filli Vanilli, but Pinkie's so annoying.

On that note, Pinkie's annoying in most of the season. She's decent in her two focus episodes, she's funny in Testing Testing and Castle Mane-ia, and she's okay in Power Ponies and Daring Don't despite barely doing anything. That's it. In her other episodes, she's either insanely obnoxious (Filli Vanilli), a moron (Three's a Crowd), is one note (Pinkie Apple Pie), or a combination of all three (Rainbow Falls). This is also the point where Pinkie's voice gets really screechy. Season 3 started this trend, but it's even worse here. It infects all of her appearances, even the good ones. Pinkie was honestly my favorite of the mane six during the first two seasons so it's a shame how annoying she is now.

Speaking of characters who used to be one of favorites but dropped down, it's time to talk about Twilicorn. Twilicorn is not the worst thing in the world and isn't even close to the worst thing about this season. Twilight being a princess only really matters in the premiere and finale. And to be fair, Twilight has a couple of strong appearances. Despite how much I hate Three's a Crowd, she's well characterized in it. She works well in Castle Mane-ia. And Testing Testing has one of her best roles in the show. But in every other episode, she's just a pile of nothing. She has no presence as a side character and completely fails as the lead in both the premiere and finale. She's just so boring and I don't care about her struggles at all.

There's barely any mentions of Twilight being a princess and when it is brought up, Twilight says that it doesn't matter. So if the show doesn't care, why should I? Twilight's Kingdom is the finale, but even that episode dances (or sings in this case) around the issue of why Twilight's a princess until the ending. And even when she's given a purpose, it doesn't make sense. Just like with Magical Mystery Cure, the ending revelation is not supported by the episode. Twilight only does something in a life or death situation. How is that different from when she wasn't a princess? And Twilight doesn't spread friendship in Twilight's Kingdom. She gives up her magic for her friends, but she would've done that even if she wasn't a princess. And Twilight doesn't reach out to be Discord's friend after he and the mane six are released. She accepts his apology. And she sure doesn't try to spread friendship to Tirek. She fights him and rainbow lasers him back to Tartarus. Needless to say, I still don't understand why Twilight's a princess (aside from selling toys) and I especially don't understand why she's the Princess of Friendship. Even taking the season as a whole into account, she doesn't spread friendship. She helps Rainbow study for her test, but so does everyone else. I guess she tutors the CMC. Sometimes she gives advice to Rainbow. Is that enough to become the Princess of Friendship?

But again, this isn't even close to the main problem with this season. The main problem is that it's boring. It's not funny, most of the stories aren't entertaining, and that magic from the early years is gone. This isn't the worst thing in the world, but it is a disappointment. And from what I remember, it's only going to get worse. I hope I'm wrong.

 

TOP 5:

5. Maud Pie

4. Filli Vanilli

3. Pinkie Pride

2. Castle Mane-ia

1. Testing Testing 1, 2, 3

 

BOTTOM 5:

5. Twilight's Kingdom

4. Somepony to Watch Over Me

3. Daring Don't

2. Rainbow Falls

1. Three's a Crowd