JH24

Dragon Dropped hit me pretty hard, because although I enjoyed it, it painfully reminded me of some things from my school years. That unwanted but growing feeling of jealousy when you see your friend making a new friend and hanging out with him. That sinking feeling when you realize his new friend has so many cool stuff and keeps inviting him over to play. Looking back it's terrifying how much my emotions impacted me. In my case we drifted apart because it turned out he was lying about being busy and instead he was with his new friend. It hurt, but later made me realize we were never as close as I thought we were, so maybe this was for the best. That's why I was happy this episode had a wholesome ending. This episode both hurt and cheered me up. (If that makes sense)

One of my favorite episodes of the second half of this season, but maybe that's because this one felt relatable for me.

Not directly related to the English version, but I had a chance to watch the Dutch dub of "The Last Laugh" when a Dutch streamingsite accidentally put it online. I don't know who the Dutch voice actor for Cheese Sandwich was but he was able to emulate "Weird Al" surprisingly well, capturing his mannerisms almost perfectly. The final song had different lyrics in places (which is probably a localization issue) but did have the same message. In the English version for example it was this: "I thought I needed laughter but it had to come from me." In Dutch it was worded differently: "I have to make others laugh because that's what makes me happy."

That's something I'm wondering too. Would no one have to bring food or water? Or are those things already present inside Tartarus?

I got the same feeling. In his own way, Discord has been coaching Twilight since the start of season 4. I found it funny how he played along with the Mane 6 in trying to hide the chaos outside. One part of him enjoys seeing Twilight stressing out, but the other half seems to be sincerely proud when she succeeds in overcoming her flaws.

I really like the dynamic between Chrysalis, Cozy Glow, Tirek and Grogar. The writers could have gone for an easy way out and made them slaves to Grogar. Instead we're seeing character development from this trio as they learn to work together. They may not be on the side of Mane 6, but even they realize that Grogar is too big of a threat and needs to be stopped. Their story line is interesting and I can't wait to see which direction their characters are going to take.

That was a great episode. Not only was it very enjoyable to watch, but it also carried a kind of "sadness" with it; sadness in the sense that this episode felt that we're getting closer to the end, that things are being set in place for the finale. Twilight getting ready for her role as ruler of Equestria; Chrysalis, Cozy Glow and Tirek in a race against the clock to execute their own plans and master Grogar's bell, and then there's Grogar's presence hanging menacingly above Equestria; readying himself to finally step out of the shadows. There really is a strong tension here with everyone involved. We have three different sides here and their paths are about to cross. I enjoyed it a lot. The only thing that irked me somewhat about this episode was that it still felt Discord is kind of an outsider of the group. He's still suspected when something goes wrong, and when trying to help his only task is not to create trouble. I do like how he plays the role as a mentor figure though.

The first time I watched this episode a few weeks ago I didn't get it. Looking back I realized I was close to being depressed back then. I've watched it again and this time it gave me a big smile in the end. "Weird Al" did such an amazing job with the voice-acting. My heart broke at times when I saw Cheese Sandwich being depressed and hearing his voice. The song at the end was great, especially the part underneath the spotlight. A wholesome episode which cheered me up. Also compliments to the animation team. They did an amazing job with this episode and I especially liked the way they've animated Sandwich; he looked even more adorable than before, especailly his facial expressions (combined with Weird Al's voice acting) totally sold it for me.

That was a nice episode. Lots of fun moments and a very relatable story about losing sight of other things when you're focused on something. They really went all out with the animation. It's like the animators said to each other "Alright, the series is almost over. How about a challenge who can animate the craziest faces?" I can understand Twilight's worries about Pinkie Pie, but it was exactly because she was so focused on Pinkie that things went wrong. Pinkie was a bit over the top at times but I still found her very likeable. She had that kind of innocence here that made it impossible for me to get frustrated with her when she gave the wrong answers. Also that "Zap apple" bit with Applejack was gold. 8.5/10

I agree that in some cases the change of a character could have used more work and build-up. (Like Garble, which although I wouldn't have mind if done well, just felt awkward the way they handled it) What frustrates me is that some characters we don't particularly care about get reformed, but a character like Lightning Dust isn't. If anything she does have the personality and development as a character that would fit for a reformation.

The same feeling bothered me as well. It was sudden and a 180 degrees turn. It just felt weird. I really feel the episode would have worked better if Rainbow had started to question herself or felt guilt after seeing Yona and Ocellus cry. It doesn't need be her fully realizing she was wrong, but a feeling of guilt and doubt would have gone a long way in making her character more likeable. Smolder then could still have played the role of nudging her in the right direction but at least she would have come across as more sympathetic. And yeah, Smolder's speech was touching and well-written. Like you said, a shame her great speech had to be in an episode like this. Snip and Snails were a nice addition to the episode. I like their characters.

You've described it very well. I hadn't even realized RD had so many bad episodes during the series. I agree with you on almost all the episodes you listed, except (respectfully) for Newbie Dash. I confess i have a bit of a soft spot for that episode so my views on it are subjective, but after watching 2,4,6... I feel the latter is even worse for Rainbow Dash as a character. I agree Rainbow Dash had a very tough time in Newbie Dash, but I can't help but feel her character was portrayed much worse in the season 9 episode. I don't want to bother anyone with my own views on Newbie Dash but what makes a difference for me is that in Newbie Dash Rainbow at least realized herself that she was wrong. In 2,4,6... she didn't realize it at all. This episode would have worked for me if Rainbow Dash had begun to feel guilt after seeing Yona and Ocellus cry. Rainbow questioning herself could have lead to her realizing what she had done, and Smolder could have been the one to give her one last nudge in the right direction. But Rainbow still didn't care even after seeing her students cry and Smolder had to spell it all out for her, which made her "redemption" (which should have been touching/sympathetic) even worse. Unless I missed it she didn't even apologize to the squad. Instead we got a "I'm awesome and I'm here to make your cheer squad awesome as well, because I care about you!" In Newbie Dash she pulled some pretty bad stunts but she never seemed mean-spirited (more like desperate). She realized her mistake by herself and apologized for it. In this episode she just came across as a jerk who doesn't care about others until suddenly she does because Smolder has to tell her.

Episode pacing. MLP episodes tend to have a good start and ending, but slow down in the middle as they try to fill time. An episode with a good consistent pace is often (unless some of the characters are written badly) fun to watch. An example would be "Point of no Return." It had an entertaining start and a good lesson at the end. But the middle part with Twilight and Spike looking kept on going and going.

After re-watching the episode I realized I wouldn't have mind Rainbow's "redemption" as much if she had realized herself she was wrong after seeing Yona and Ocellus cry. But instead she needed Smolder to spell it out for her which made her change of heart even worse.

Rainbow Dash making Yona and Ocellus cry should have been a wake-up call for her, and yet she still didn't care. She even made a joke about it at Ocellus' expense. That moment ruined the episode for me.

- I still think "Newbie Dash" ranks as one of the better episodes for Rainbow Dash in terms of character development. - It still irks me that Starlight was treated much more leniently by the Mane 6 than Discord ever was.

I can't say I'm disappointed with Sombra. The premiere actually gave him a personality, and his distinct voice really added to his character IMHO. He really did sound like someone of royal descent, and it only made me wonder even more how and why he turned out like this. Was it a choice he willingly made, or did he start out good and was corrupted in some way? For some reason I don't think he would have fit the dynamic between Cozy Glow, Chrysalis and Tirek very well. What I am hoping for is that we may get a surprise appearance from him in the finale. Like a part of him left behind that would help against Grogar, if for no other reason he doesn't want anyone else to rule what he believes is rightfully his one day.

I really like the Student 6. They add a flavor and new dynamic to this series. I did need some time to warm up to them but I can't imagine the series without them now. Just like the Mane 6, they all have their own personalities and quirks and they work well together. My "least favorite" was Sandbar until his episode with Yona. It really made him more likeable for me. It was this episode where his character became more defined IMHO. The other reason I like the Student 6 is because it showed the Elements of Harmony were not exclusive to ponies, but could be used by anyone, regardless of who they are.

IMO she's not ready to be a leader. She can't afford to go "Twilighting" whenever something goes wrong, she can't afford to second guess her decisions every turn, or to try and do everything by herself. Twilight nearly went "Lesson Zero" on that amulet the Princesses had given her to control the sun and moon. To be a ruler of Equestria Twilight doesn't need to change her personality or who she is, but she does need to change her mindset and outlook on things. Considering how her breakdowns/Twilighting actually seems to get worse the further we get into this season, I'm slightly worried her change might be last-minute. Something big needs to happen (which likely will) to make Twilight understand what it truly means to be a leader.

Great episode. The middle part dragged on a little but the rest was entertaining. The Trixie and Starlight dynamic was enjoyable as usual (Thinking back to season 1 I never would have thought Trixie would become such a developed character) and the expressions were hilarious. It's nice to see that Mud Briar is becoming more aware about his habit and I'm impressed he's making an effort in his interactions with others. I'm liking him as a character. The scene with Gallus and Smolder made me laugh. Love the dynamic between those two. Seeing Terramar was a nice surprise. (I wish he would appear more often in the series) I was initially a bit frustrated with his angry response to Starlight because it felt so unfair towards her, but then I realized Terramar was already upset himself about his sister. I just wish Terramar had a bigger role. Except for letting everyone know that Silverstream was missing he didn't really do much this episode.

Amazing episode! It was cleverly written, had a good and entertaining song, had some very fun moments and some great music.