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I don't know if anyone has noticed this yet, but during the scene when Pinkie's mane deflated and she became heartbroken (14:39 to 14:42), did anyone think of the Ralph Wiggum scene in the Simpsons episode I Love Lisa (link) where Bart slowed down the video footage to pin point the exact moment the heart ripped in half? "Watch this Lis, you can actually pinpoint the second when Pinkie Pie's heart rips in half. And.....now." I just noticed this when I watched the episode again last night and just out of interest I slowed down the footage in Adobe Premiere Pro and synced the audio with the Simpsons segment.

Whew! Nothing like a good hot cuppa to start the morning. So with that, it's time for the usual post episode write up. To sum up my tweet from this morning: "Well, the guess I was made was right. Maud Pie has entered the fan favourite character ranks! A great episode!" Again, like the Apple Bloom episode last week the story centred around a topic that is close to home in the form of siblings and family. While I didn't reach for the headphone volume switch as much, there were a few moments where the PTSD flared up and the volume went down on a few instances. Anyway onto the episode itself. I guess the main part and highlight of this episode was the debut of Maud Pie, and what a first time appearance it was! I was mainly impressed with her personality, hence the tweet above about becoming a fan favourite character and seeing what she can do also gave a few "wow" moments that made the episode just a little bit more special. I mean, is it that she ate a whole rock without having any regard for their dental hygiene and at the risk of breaking a tooth or two? Is it the ability to drill and break up rocks with their bare hooves to save your younger sister's life after setting up a Double Dare style obstacle course which went almost fatally wrong? Is it the ability able to write such brilliant poetry and put her full literature skills to the test despite being a little on the bland side, but yet provide words of wisdom? Is it the ability to carry around a pet rock everywhere she goes despite the risks of being picked on and bullied? I often wonder if Cloudy Quartz (Pinkie's mother) brought her daughters up in a special way on that rock farm. I mean, what else could Maud do that Pinkie and the sisters can't do by those three things that she did? Maud really shone in a big way in this episode. Speaking of Pinkie, she was a lot better in this episode despite the past performances this season where she copped a lot of flack for the stuff she said and did. Sure she may have made Fluttershy cry twice in Filli Vanilli, but I just put that down as a lapse of good judgement and write it off as a life experience. Another scene that I was blown away by was seeing the tradition of the Pie family rock candy and also being demonstrated through the art of traditional paper animation was also a nice nod to the styles of the past. Although it was simple and not to the renaissance standards that the likes of the big "D" experienced during the late 80's and early to mid 1990's, this small sample of animated brilliance despite being only for a few seconds really goes to show that the DHX team isn't afraid to try new things to make the episode go the extra mile or two and to also impress the viewer. But with all of the traditions that a family can have, there has to be a down side to it all and the one scene that is now etched into the minds of the fans came when Pinkie had her heart ripped out emotionally by the Mane 6 when they decided to be blunt about Maud. "Ouch! That has to hurt. Poor Pinkie." Seeing Pinkie's mane deflate (but not into full blown Pinkamena) and biting her muzzle in an effort to try and not start crying was a heartfelt moment that was translated well to the viewer. I don't know if the writers this season have an agenda to put Pinkie against the wall and try and fight through the odds, but it seems to be having an impact. Apart from that, Maud Pie is one of those episodes that I consider a must watch and being the second of the three sibling themed episodes this season, this has set the stage for Rarity and Sweetie Belle to tell their story next week. I also have written my full thoughts on the episode itself on my blog, which can be viewed here.

Whew! It is that time of the weekend once again. Another episode has been put to air and with that, time for the usual post episode write up. To sum up my tweet from this morning: "Wow! The first of the sister themed episodes and it was.....great! One down, two to go." Now before I get into how I felt about the episode in general, I would like to say off the record that this episode covered an important topic that is close to me. The topic in question that was covered in this episode is siblings and family and how they work together and the differences they have. I wasn't kind to my siblings when I was younger and this episode had me having to turn the volume down on my headphones at times due to the past memories, but it was nice to see the first of three episodes based around this theme being featured this season. Anyway onto the episode itself. This episode was a great one to watch despite my PTSD wanting to flare up due to the events mentioned above. It has been a while since Apple Bloom was given an episode ever since Family Appreciation Day back in season two and the new writer Scott Sonneborn did a great job on his first time out and really told the story well. The idea of Apple Bloom gaining independence and looking after the farm on her own reflected my real world struggles with my family and how I fought tooth and nail to become independent myself during my younger years. They really covered the issue down to a fine point, even going as far as Apple Bloom showcasing what she could do when her chores were finished. Applejack in this episode was....well you get the picture and I'll let these tweets sum it up: "Oh for goodness sakes Applejack! Stop being overprotective! Leave Apple Bloom be!" "What happened to the "honest" traits Applejack? I thought after 30 years that you would learn a thing or two about family!" Last but not least, the Cutie Mark Crusaders added for some cute and memorable moments in this episode, mainly Sweetie Belle sleeping (Sleepy Belle) and the song number coming to a grinding halt by Scootaloo made for both many Aww and humorous moments. Apart from that, there isn't much else to cover this week. Overall the episode was a great one to watch and being the first of three sibling themed episodes this season, this has set the stage to cover the issue as a whole. I also have written my full thoughts on the episode itself on my blog, which can be viewed here.

As with last weeks episode, this post episode write up is going to be short and sweet and might be a little off course from my usual fare. To sum up my tweet from this morning: "Wow! They promised cute, and we got cute! Cuteness overload all round! An outstanding episode!" What can I say? The hype and anticipation for this episode was spot on when they promised "cuteness overload" and they were right, everything from Fluttershy to the Breezies really sums up this episode as a whole for me. I went into the episode knowing nothing about the Breezies or what they do in the world of Equestria, so this was a crash course for me and seeing them for the very first time produced many a D'Awwww moment throughout, especially towards the end of the episode where the mane 6 take on their form to assist them getting home. The episode also saw Fluttershy at her very best despite being under pressure from the Breezies trying to stay over at her cottage due to their confidence being shot down and also seeing her assertive side when took charge of the bees situation was a bit of a mood booster for me. Apart from that, there isn't much else to cover this week. I also have written my full thoughts on the episode itself on my blog, which can be viewed here. Also as a side note, It seems Spike has been on the short end of the stick as of late and I think this episode might have been the breaking point for him. Why are they doing this?!

I know I am going to cop a lot of heat for this, but if there is one scene out of the four seasons of the show that I hate with a burning passion is simply put in a few words....Power Ponies and Flutterhulk. Those two things really, really get me going in anger and it still does today. I'll let this excerpt from my episode entry on my blog sum it up: "I have seen Fluttershy grow and evolve into a character that I still love and consider my favourite ever since I discovered the show back in 2011. I know about Flutters traits as a quiet and shy pony from the first episode that I watched back then. Putting Your Hoof Down was a different kettle of fish to this episode was we saw a different side of her building up her self confidence, which in turn thanks to Iron Will made Fluttershy overconfident and show her aggressive nature and as a result she hurt her friends feelings and this was a wake up call for Flutters. Future episodes would have some of those self confidence traits, but when it came to this episode and to the part where she hulked up, I couldn't watch it and seeing her in battle mode made me cringe like anything. I often ask why they did this. It was not necessary. Yes I know it's a reference to a classic superhero franchise, but I don't like seeing Fluttershy in that manner. It breaks my heart to see that happen and I don't want to see it happen again. Ever."

"Awwww...what can I say? This episode was outstanding! Well done Cutie Mark Crusaders!" "I've got a good feeling that these three fillies, including Sweetie Belle have a great future ahead of them. *wipes away tears*" Need I say more? Although this week's quick write up is a bit short in terms of content, the above tweets are really summing up how I feel about the episode when it went to air this morning. When I first heard about the episode when the synopsis and title were released a while back, I thought it was going to be a time travelling episode where the CMC's would use the potion to turn back the clock and cause chaos (time paradox), but after watching the first few minutes and seeing Sweetie Belle and her fellow friends under the guidance of Twilight and learning some new skills really made me proud for some reason. Seeing Twilight in a new role as a teacher and a mentor to the CMC really brought the best out in all of them during this episode, especially Sweetie Belle who actually managed the situation with Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon in a calm and collective manner. Apart from that, there isn't much else to say in this write up as the episode itself told the story as a whole. Also as a bit of a side note, I'm feeling a major sense of pride right now for the CMC. True and honest. When I saw Sweetie practising her magic and using her horn, I immediately thought of how Rarity would be feeling at that point in the episode knowing her little sister, despite the fair share of pain and frustration is finally making a mark in her life. For all three fillies (plus Babs) who from the start of the series tried and tried endlessly to find their special talent and had their fair share of hard knocks, sisterly fights, run ins with Diamond and Silver and even pulling off the impossible, I've got a good feeling that despite the series going for an extra five years that the CMC's will continue to grow and mature to the point that one day they will finally find their special talent and obtain their cutie mark goal. I also have written my full thoughts on the episode itself on my blog, which can be viewed here. Also I thought I put together a post episode reaction art piece which took place after the event (spoilered for large file size):

The favourite episode of the season for me keeps changing with each one that goes to air and this morning, this was no exception. So with that said despite this write up being a bit shorter than usual...... "Another great episode is in the history books! One word, outstanding! Especially with @AndreaLibman's voice work. Well done!" It has been a while since a single episode centred around Fluttershy has been done and when this episode went to air this morning, it did not disappoint. Now just for curiosity's sake, the Ponytones name for me is actually a play on word of Australia's very own Delltones (link) who for those aren't in the loop are a rock and roll band who were very famous in the 70's and 80's. The Ponytones in this case aren't actually rock and roll performers like the Delltones but are actually a singing group like a barber shop quartet or mini choir and they are really good as per this tweet below: "Catchy, toe tapping and actually pretty good! These Ponytones are outstanding!" Hearing Big Mac sing for the very first time and also the return of Flutterguy also made for the outstanding musical performances in the episode itself and seeing Fluttershy in the Ponytones outfit towards the end of the episode and performing on stage actually to be honest, got me a bit teary eyed knowing that she finally did it and overcame the odds once again. Another part of the episode which also struck a chord is the reference to Hurricane Fluttershy when she was exposed during one of the performances and her anxiety kicked in resulting in her running from the stage in tears. Seeing Fluttershy being upset, especially towards the end where Pinkie pushed her to the emotional limits got me a bit teary. I know what it's like to be pushed to the limit and have my anxiety and stress levels tested to the breaking point and eventually breaking down in tears, so I can easily relate to Fluttershy's situation as a whole. Apart from that, this episode is a high ranking one in my books. The story was also well written and the lesson at the end was also a nice touch. I also have written my full thoughts on the episode itself on my blog, which can be viewed here.

Now before I begin the usual weekend write-up on the episode, I know from the previous posts in a thread on another forum that I frequently visit that most of the content that I'm going to mention in this post may end up with a few disagreeing. So while there might not be a long post, with that said from my tweet this morning..... "What can I say? They said that this was the episode that they tried to break @StTabitha, and they were right! Outstanding ep!" While I don't normally watch episodes featuring around elements such as love, crushes and romance, this episode was actually pretty good once you got the jest of the story down packed. According to Meghan McCarthy on her Twitter this was the episode where they tried to break Tabitha St. Germain and as you can guess from the tweet above, they sure did! Speaking of voice actors/actresses, I particularly enjoyed Rarity's antics in this episode especially towards the second part of the episode where she cried her eyes out in front of Spike after Trenderhoof ripped and broke her heart into two. The main part of the episode for me was towards the end when Applejack and Rarity squared off in their role reversal. Seeing Applejack reliving her fillyhood years in Manehattan and Rarity dressed differently and them throwing every point in the book was very entertaining to watch! Apart from that, while this episode might rank as a "so-so" or competely disagreeable in some people's books, this episode for me provided a bit of comic relief from the usual storyline. I also have written my full thoughts on the episode itself on my blog, which can be viewed here. Also I thought I put together a post episode reaction art piece which took place after the event (spoilered for large file size):

Wow. Just wow. I.....I.....I can't believe it! I've been listening to Troy Cassar-Daley's Born to Survive well before the episode went to air due to the similarities between the song and this episode and I have to say that they have hit the mark with this. To quote from my tweet from this morning: "I can safely say this right now, this episode was.....was....unbelievable! The best of #MLPSeason4 so far! Enough said!" What can I say? I thought the debut episode for this season or Scootaloo's episode was the major highlight of the series for me, but despite the events leading up to the episode officially airing I can safely say that this episode delivered on it's hype and anticipation promise from start to finish! The main highlights of the episode for me were not only about Weird Al's guest appearance as Cheese Sandwich, but also Pinkie Pie and the struggles she had to go through to try and retain her status as the premier party pony and in the process, learns a valuable lesson or two along the way. Emotion wise, if you forgot to bring a box of Kleenex before the episode aired then you might just want some tissues on hand. Pinkie Pie was put through an emotional roller coaster ride and some of the scenes actually got me a bit choked up, especially the musical number (Pinkie's Lament) where Pinkie Pie was on the edge of defeat and just about to throw in the towel. I had a bit of a bad day before the episode aired and I was on the verge of tears, so once this song came up..... "I am openly weeping my eyes out here! No joke! I knew it! It had to be a Pinkie Pie musical number to start the waterworks!" Apart from that, there isn't much left to say about this episode. I also have written my full thoughts on the episode itself on my blog, which can be viewed here.

It was wacky, it was crazy and completely off the wall. There are no words needed to describe my thoughts for this episode. To quote from my tweet this morning: "Whew! Crazy, wacky and competely off the wall! Another great episode is in the history books! Really enjoyed this one." Despite the mix up in the episode synopsis with this one and the big one next week, this episode for me was a fun one to watch apart from my (former) hatred for Discord. If there has to be one part of the episode that the fans are talking about, it would have to be the song number with Discord. It started off slow and then suddenly picked up speed and by the half way point I couldn't keep up with the song. It was pure chaotic mayhem for two magical minutes complete with every pop culture reference that you can throw at it! The stream chats on BronyState and HaxMega plus the official Twitter hashtag exploded during the song, and I also chipped in with my thoughts at the end of the song number: "To those who think John de Lancie is not well known for his singing, then those critics have been proven wrong this morning." Apart from that, the episode storyline provided a change of scenery from the usual fare and seeing Princess Cadence again as well as a fan favourite character (which I won't reveal here) return from the EQG world gave the episode a little kick. Overall, this episode cannot be described in more than three words. Crazy. Chaotic. Off the Wall. I also have written my full thoughts on the episode itself on my blog, which can be viewed here.

Whew! Finally got around to doing this after the events of the last couple of days with my grandma passing away and having to house sit. With that out of the road, let's get to it shall we? To quote from my tweet this morning: "What an episode! What a moment! What a miracle! It's a dream come true! We will see you at the Crystal Empire soon!" What can I say?, I am pretty much lost for words after watching the episode live this morning. To quote the words from the words of Bruce McAvaney......it was special. Rainbow Dash's loyalty was put to the test during this episode. For those who aren't in the loop, she was born in Cloudsdale, but migrated to Ponyville to work on the weather team. Seeing her having to make a choice to either push through with the Ponyville team and her best friend Fluttershy or defect to her home town of Cloudsdale and the Wonderbolts really brought out the best in her and showed a new side of the character that we haven't seen before. Normally she would be showing off her "too cool" and raspy style, but for this episode that all went out the window as she was left with a choice that had to be made on her own. The qualifying race itself was a heart stopping, on the edge of your seat feeling right from the start. It had a Olympic (or in my case Paralympic) final feeling to it and while I was trying not to make the entire house up as I cheered on Ponyville to a qualification spot, the team went for broke and made the qualifying time with only a millisecond to spare. Apart from that, there isn't much left for me to talk about for this episode. The Equestria Games story arc is starting to pick up in a big way and the next couple of episodes will be interesting to watch as the season progresses to the half way point. I also have written my full thoughts on the episode itself on my blog, which can be viewed here.