"May the Best Pet Win"... *nostalgic sigh* I like this episode... I like this episode A LOT!!! Not just because it's a damn good episode, which it is, but this episode holds a very special place in my heart for nostalgic purposes. But we'll get to that in a little bit. "May the Best Win" is the first of two Rainbow Dash-centered episodes in a row in Season 2, and admittedly, probably the better of the two. It was also the first RD centered episode since "Sonic Rainboom" way back in the middle of Season 1, so it was quite nice seeing RD get the spotlight once again (not that she's not constantly trying to get in the spotlight anyways ). So, let's get going with this review!

So, the first thing that of course makes this episode work is that it's a great Rainbow Dash episode period. Rainbow Dash is, well, basically Rainbow Dash the whole episode; she's brash, loudmouthed, awesome, uber-confident, and to top it all off, she's looking for a pet with the same exact qualities. Yes, it seems the writers realized that they'd given every one of the Mane 6 a pet except for RD and decided to rectify that, so off Dash goes looking for a pet (after a delightful musical number, but I'll talk more about that later). So of course, the whole idea of holding a contest to get a pet is quite ludicrous, seeing as that's not the purpose of a pet, but the reason it works here and also Rainbow Dash doesn't come out looking extremely shallow and douchey is, quite simply because early on in the episode you know she's going to learn a lesson, that she's going to in the end discover what having a pet is really all about, and furthermore why you should befriend somepony in general to boot. And of course she does, she learns a great lesson that, while it seems like something she should've known by now given everything that had already happened in the show, doesn't make you annoyed at her that much mostly because, like I said, you know pretty much from the beginning that she's going to learn it. How do you know she's going to learn it? Well it's all thanks to a new little addition to the show simply known as... TANK.

Look at him... bask in his glory, because no matter how hard you try you will never be as cool as the tortoise called Tank!!! OK, admittedly I may be exaggerating just a little, but the dude's undeniably awesome! This little-engine-that-could from the moment he first shows up never, ever quits trying to win Rainbow Dash's affection, even when faced with overwhelming odds given the competition in Rainbow's contest with standards he simply can't meet, at least not on the surface that is. In the end, though, despite RD's misgivings and complete lack of confidence in this tortoise's ability, Tank proves himself to be the perfect fit for Rainbow Dash as a pet: absolutely loyal, tenacious, and possessing a winning attitude that fits perfectly with Ms. 20% Cooler. By the time I'd first finished watching this episode, Tank had not only won over RD's affection, but mine as well; I love this little guy, and while he may not be my favorite out of the pets (like the Mane 6, I don't really have a favorite out of the pets... though I do have a least favorite... bucking Owlowiscious), there is no other pet that I could see more perfect for RD, and to his credit he's the only pet out of the bunch who's had an entire episode in which he's been a costar and we got to learn a whole lot about his personality (AND NO, I'M NOT COUNTING "OWL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL" BECAUSE OWLOWISCIOUS DOESN'T HAVE A PERSONALITY, ALL HE SAYS IS "HOO"!!!!!!!!!!). So yeah, all in all Tank was a lovely addition to the show and its character line-up, and me, I'll always love the guy.

Finally, what else makes this episode work. Couple things. Animation is impressive as usual, especially the sequences involving the dozens of animals we usually don't see featured in the show. The comedy is solid, lots of physical humor with the animals along with RD's usual hilarious over-the-top behavior and personality. As I said, the lesson that you shouldn't choose a pet or your friends based on shallow traits like physical prowess, but rather on how winning their attitude is, is a very good one, especially for RD to learn, even if she should've learned it by now anyways, and overall the way it's learned is executed very nicely. And then there's one big thing that I've got to mention: the song. Oh boy, the song!

"Find a Pet" is not only one of my favorite songs in the second season, but it's also one of my favorite songs in MLP period. It is also not only the first full length song of Season 2, but in addition one of the most important songs in MLP's history for one big reason: it's the first duet of the show! We'd had solos AND ensembles before this episode, but never had Daniel Ingram written a full-length duet of all things for the show, and my oh my it's a winner!!! Everything about it is perfect; the tune is pleasant, the lyrics are awesome, and Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash's contrasting voices make for a lovely and unique duet.

But that's not the only reason this tune is special to me. Way back in early 2012, before I was a brony, while I was interning out in Washington, D.C., I began noticing how ponies were showing up everywhere on the Internet. After seeing quite a few memes I finally gave one video a looksy, a parody vid. This was that vid (WARNING: does not contain foul language but turn your volume down if you watch, especially if wearing headphones!!!):

Thanks to Solrac/Yaplap's incredibly hilarious parody, I was eventually drawn to the actual song itself. After some more thought and investigation, I eventually began watching the show, and so began my first steps into bronyhood. So, seeing as "Find a Pet" was in many ways largely responsible for my giving the show a chance in the first place, it will always hold a special place in my heart, as will the episode as a whole. Not much more to say about the episode beyond that; it's awesome and always worth a rewatch, much like its two costars!!!

That's just plain adorable.