Author's Note: This review has been revised and republished for the morning of October 11, 2013.

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As season one wound down, Cindy Morrow wrote her last episode until Sisterhooves Social: Owl's Well that Ends Well. For the first time, Spike was the central character in an episode, and this one details Spike's jealousy of a newcomer in the series, Owlowiscious. Altogether, the first Spike-centric episode is one gigantic clunker, ranking it one of the worst season one episodes and easily Morrow's worst episode.

Owl's Well, like every other episode in this series, has a combination of strengths and weaknesses. The strengths include:

1. One of FIM's greatest strengths is creating an engaging atmosphere, and DHX really delivered in this episode, especially in three scenes.
    
   Following the Introduction, Act 1 displayed a gorgeous night scene. The stars, sky, and grass all had that calm, soothing nighttime feel via that little bit of gray to mute the colors and violet in the sky. Plus, every pony (and Spike) didn't show off their brilliantly pastel coats. A duller version of them, but not so gray to where they look a lot like Discord zapped them of their color.
    
   But it isn't only in the starry scene, either. The very after, Twilight wrote her report about comets, but it isn't her words that are captivating. The nighttime graphics matter here. Everything was dark and cool with only the candle illuminating light off Twilight's muzzle, hair, table, quill, and parchment.
    
   During Act 3, Spike entered a cave in the Everfree Forest. There was an immediate contrast between the outdoors and indoors through the light and dark of the ground, but when he approached the jewels, that area of the cave luminated, indicating a strong sense of brightness and reflectance throughout the treasured hollow area.
   
2. To give the night a bigger sense of beauty, blurred balls of light in the form of comics rained before the starry sky. I've seen meteor showers and comets passing by the nighttime sky a few times live, and they never get old. The same reactions apply here with the awe from the crowd young and old. It's plausible, especially for those who desire to have quality family time like the Mane Six (while they're friends, their chemistry makes them extended family, especially once the season comes to a close).
   
3. Owlowiscious only spoke in "whos," but that doesn't mean he's bereft of personality. They were simple, but in some way indicated what his feelings were. For example, as Twilight stormed out of the Golden Oaks Library near the end of Act 2, Owlowiscious rotated his head back and gave a solemn "who," as if telling Spike he felt bad for him.
   
4. Spike had moments where his jealousy and feelings where he believed he was going to be replaced was justified.
    
   Owlowiscious finding two books far quicker than him, one of them having him fall off the ladder.
    
   Spike overhearing the Mane Six glorifying Owlowiscious.
    
   Owlowiscious finding quills before Spike.
    
   Spike being snitched after the owl found the burnt book.
    
   Twilight scolding Spike for not being "the Spike [she knew] and love[d]." Words like these hurt, especially to a kid like him, and that solidified his belief that Twilight wanted nothing to do with him anymore.
   
5. The aesop, at its core, makes sense. Lies and jealousy not just break friendships, but families, too. Quite possibly the most important element of friendship is trust. No trust, no bond, and lies and jealousy nearly broke the two apart.
   

That said, despite these strengths, issues clog up Owl's Well that Ends Well.

1. Owlowiscious may have personality, but it's often sidestepped in the form of "who" jokes, with Twilight understanding what he's saying and Spike incapable of translating. In-episode jokes are fine once in a while or if they're cleverly weaved in a storyline (i.e., Big Mac's lack of long-winded vocal answers in the hilariously clever two-part comic), but it was handled weakly here. The repetitive jokes overshadowed what personality showed from the owl and devolved him into a one-dimensional plot device.
   
2. Spike ends up being the butt of jokes. One issue in many episodes where Spike was involved is where he tends to be a gigantic, repetitive, and shallow component of comic relief, and Owl's Well is no exception.
    
   As Spike wallowed in the Everfree Forest, a sudden rainfall poured over him, souring his mood.
    
   He chased a chicken in order to get a feather, only to run into a barn, faceplant on the back wall, and then get into a tussle, only to come up empty-handed (until a feather floated down).
    
   Or when he woke up, panicking about the chores after he overslept.
    
   Or when he ran into the front door and got his bell rung.
    
   Or when Owlowiscious took a book from the stack Spike stood on, causing him to fall and make him feel embarrassed, incompetent, and angrier.
    
   Morrow takes Spike, his jealousy, and his anger and puts him into the headache-inducing slapstick sequence that marginalizes him into a one-dimensional piñada of idiocy.
   
3. A problem with both this episode and the two Spike-centric episodes in season three: Spike being out of character. Him sneezing, putting the burnt book away, and lying about it for fear of retribution wasn't out of character, because he was proud of his duty and didn't want to disappoint Twilight. What made him out of character was the way he communicated with Owlowiscious and his actions to remain the "#1 assistant." Twilight was very clear that Owlowiscious was Twilight's junior assistant while Spike was asleep, and Spike suddenly reacted that he thought Owlowiscious was going to replace him? He may be a kid dragon, but he's smart, too, even though he wasn't as mature as he was following Secret of My Excess.
    
   When he saw Owlowiscious for the first time, his immediate impression wasn't "hello," "how do you do," or "thank you for helping me." He grew instantly jealous and began thinking the owl (and Twilight) wanted to replace him. He had no clear, scripted, realistic motive to initially react the way he did and continuously snowballed to the point where he uncharacteristically became a villain later on.
    
   Now, if Spike didn't get jealous until the rest of the Mane Six like Rarity praised and glorified Owlowiscious or after Owlowiscious personally intruded in his duties, then it would make sense, because his trust for the owl would eventually develop into something naïve and more appropriate for him. But prior, he had no rhyme or reason to feel extremely jealous instantaneously.
   
4. The entire second half — the events soon after Spike fell asleep for the second time — greatly slowed down the pace of the episode and made it drag! Each event was completely pointless, contradicted to what Twilight would do (even in her immature point in her development)*, and artificially created conflict. Spike's increased, one-dimensional, out-of-character furor and jealousy over Owlowiscious; framing Owlowiscious after being caught lying to Twilight; trying to get Owlowiscious kicked out for killing a mouse; running away; and getting involved in the chase scene at the end was nothing more than padding to fill in the twenty-minute timeframe. With a heavy revision and scrapping of the second half, the whole could've ended in about half the time, and the pace would've been better.
    
   *The moment where Twilight woke Spike with a start was out of character for her because despite feeling angry and disappointed, she knows better than to act rudely impatient and wake him up like that. It would've been more in character if Spike woke up and then saw Twilight's disappointment. She would tell him the owl found it and then scold him for covering, but then console him and say that the next time this happens, tell her instead. They would make up, and then Spike would glare at Owlowiscious for trying to snitch him into not doing his duties.
   

The whole episode be much better if it's something like this:

1. Twilight and Spike prepare to gaze at the comets so Twilight can observe in awe and study. Suddenly, Spike sneezes at the book, burning it. Twilight smells the burning and asks Spike if he was okay, only to find the book being burnt. Spike apologizes to Twilight for letting her down, but Twilight lets him know it's okay. A little disappointed, but fine. She can always ask Celestia for a new copy.
   
2. The Mane Six star gaze and Spike watches in delight, but eventually falls asleep.
   
3. Twilight and Spike return off, lets Spike fall asleep. Suddenly, as Twilight writes her report, the wind blows her quill and parchment away. Twilight tries to use her magic to retrieve it, but the spell-binding wind nudges her magic away. Suddenly, an owl picks up the paper and quill and returns it to her desk. They meet and greet, and Twilight gives him the name "Owlowiscious."
   
4. Spike wakes up late and worries if he's behind schedule. Twilight reassures him to not worry and greets him to Owlowiscious, who will be her "junior assistant" to help out Spike whenever he has trouble. Spike doesn't really understand the owl much, but still thanks him for helping.
    
   When Twilight leaves to get food supplies, they get acquainted better and begin doing some chores. Spike takes care of some of the tasks by cleaning up the floor and dusting the books, but suddenly begins to feel like sneezing. Owlowiscious comes by and stops him, and Spike thanks him.
    
   But then tasks become difficult. Spike, who's normally accustomed to working alone, wants to work alone. The owl helps him, anyway, easing up the tasks. Spike begrudgingly thanks him and wonders if Owlowiscious may be helpful, after all.
   
5. He takes a break by reading a book on how to cast a fire-free spell on parchment and paper, when Twilight's friends overly gush on Owlowiscious, giving him the same gifts as Spike during their night picnic. Spike tries to call for attention, but the chatter was too loud for them to hear. Feeling a bit down, he heads back into the Library. Fluttershy, however, sees Spike feeling a bit glum and askd if he was starting to feel a bit left out, which Twilight assures it doesn't feel like it was the case.
    
   However, Spike's feeling a bit upset and begins to mutter about how the others ignor him and focus on Owlowiscious instead. He wonders why everyone gushes over Owlowiscious with the same praise and gifts despite not knowing him so well and not "earning" it all, either. Twilight and Owlowiscious pass by, and as the owl and dragon makes eye contact, Spike's eye twitches.
    
   Twilight asks Spike to find one book. He goes up the ladder, only to find the owl taking it. Then another, only for Owlowiscious taking it from the stack he stood on. The books collapse, but Spike holds onto the shelf so he doesn't fall to the ground. He scowls at the owl. When Twilight writes, her quill brakes and asks Spike if he can fetch new ones. He obliges and heads to the arts and crafts shop to buy them.
   
6. But when he returns, new quills were beside her, and she credited Owlowiscious and also helped with dusting and rearranging one of the shelves. Dejected, Spike mutters and walks to the observatory, leaving a surprised, concerned look on Twilight's face.
    
   She goes upstairs and asks what's the matter. Spike said now when he tries to do his chores, the owl's doing them better and quicker than him, and he's wondering now if he is just not up to some tasks anymore. Twilight is confused, because the two got along fine earlier. Spike admitted it, but Owlowiscious got the groveling treatment while he was left out and was upset by it. And what happened after (the quills, dusting) upset him more. Twilight felt bad and apologized to Spike for accidentally starting it and reassured that, no matter what happens, the dragon will always be her little brother and number-one assistant. Owlowiscious flew up and hooted reassuringly.
   
7. Commence the new friendship report, detailing about other friends' feelings are important, and sometimes it's important to be careful how to act and behave. Also, friendship is about being able to communicate to one another and reassure them when they're feeling down and upset. Spike and Twilight each co-signed.
    
   End of the episode.
   

That's it.

No extra padding.

No need to make Spike uncharacteristically look like a villain whose purpose is to keep his job.

No need to make Spike look like a center of flat comic relief all the time.

No running away.

No lame action in the cave.

No shoved in adventure/fight-or-flight moment.

No continuous moments of "whoing" comic relief that reduces Owlowiscious's role and impression.

You have the beginning, the moments leading to Owlowiscious, possible hinting of Owlowiscious getting into Spike, Spike listening to the chatter and getting upset, being upstaged, gets more upset, gets reassurance, friendship report, end of the episode. The story is there, but you get—to—the—point more efficiently that won't make your audience want to fast-forward the DVR or change the channel. You skim the fat in exchange for the juicy meat. And if given the patience to pace it right and fill in the gaps more, this script should last a little more than half the time of the actual episode. In other words, twelve to fifteen minutes instead of twenty minutes.

(If to pad it more, fill in the gaps with some dialogue; teamwork between Spike and Owlowiscious; more moments where Owlowiscious was able to fulfill the tasks quicker than him; and/or conversation between Spike and another character like Pinkie Pie about feeling left out or wondering if he can fulfill the tasks. Pinkie can give him some words of wisdom to try and cheer him up, only for it to inadvertently fail.

If the last suggestion with Pinkie is done right, it could foreshadow Pinkie's antics for Party of One even more, as she felt angry at her friends for being left out of the loop, wondering if they truly loved her anymore.)

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Owl's Well that Ends Well is Spike's first centric episode. There are many moments where the animation is absolutely beautiful, but good aesthetics don't mean a thing if the story wasn't well-told. The beginning was good, but it devolved into out-of-character writing and illogical reactions in Spike's point of view, with unnecessary filler to fulfill the twenty-minute script. Overall, an objectively terrible episode.