JH24

I really enjoyed this episode. I'm usually not that fond of episodes about being someone you're not, but I thought this was done well. Yona was adorable, and her genuinely wanting to fit in with the ponies is such a difference from her original "Yak are best at everything" motto. What really made it for me was the ending. This episode gave a lot of characterization to both Yona and Sandbar, their scenes together made me smile, and they both grow a lot in my eyes. All of the Student 6 were great, and I loved how the episode portrayed their bond and how natural it feels now. Joking, friendly banter, being there for each other. The Mane 6 were entertaining too, the songs were catchy and fun, and I was glad they apologized to Yona in the end. The lesson was nice and I loved how in the end the tradition and party was changed to include everyone, and not being pony-only. The other Student 6 feeling left out and awkward during that party before was also a nice touch.

It was a fun episode. Lots of clever and witty dialogue. The middle part dragged on a little, but even that was kept interesting by having some fun dialogue or expressions mixed into it. The moral was good and I thought it was a nice twist how Twilight never read the overdue book in the first place. Twilight and that pony in a tug-of-war with the door made me laugh. For me personally this episode is among if not the best episode from G.M. Berrow.

I liked the episode. Some parts dragged on a bit too long but overall it was entertaining and fun. The ending was satisfying and I was surprised how this turned into a Spike episode near the end. Luna on the throne petting a goose was priceless. You can tell they had a lot of fun with the facial expressions.

Season 6 isn't one of my favorites but it wasn't really bad either. I thought the first half of the season had some solid (or good) episodes like Heart Warmings Tail, Saddle Row Review, Flutter Brutter, Stranger than Fanfiction, Cart before the Ponies and (dare I say it?) Newbie Dash. The second half of the season for me was weaker and more inconsistent. Newbie Dash by itself probably didn't do the season any favors for its image either.

This is not the first time Discord has been playing the role of a mentor figure. Despite his sometimes immature attitude, we have to keep in mind he's still the Lord of Chaos, and likely possesses knowledge others aren't even aware off. It looks like Discord knows something is coming, and is preparing Twilight and her friends for whatever is awaiting them in the future.

"Cranky grandpa." That was actually something that crossed my mind at one point as well. I still like his design though; you don't have to look menacing to be a big threat IMO. It's possible Grogar will transform into a more powerful form near the end of this season.

It can be argued that Twilight and the others had become too complacent and dependent on the Elements over time. ("You've lost sight of what's in front of you")

That was a great premiere. There were some weaker scenes, especially in the second part, but the other scenes more than made up for it. Loved Discord's mentor role in this one, and it was great to see the other Mane 6 (besides Fluttershy) actually caring about Discord and showing emotions. That speech was very well done. I'm really liking the premise of Grogar and his "league of villains." I'm keeping my fingers crossed this season will give some more depth to Tirek, Cozy and Chrysalis. King Sombra was great too. I was impressed with his voice actor, especially his final scene before he was (brutally) destroyed by the Mane 6. You could actually hear the fear and panic in his voice.

I'm not hyped just yet but I'm certainly looking forward to it. This trailer kind of feels like a 'red herring'.

That was a fun short. Loved the reactions and animation.

You're right, but like you said, Starlight has her own problems as well. In many ways they're the same. Discord can be immature and act like a jerk, (Dungeons and Discords, Matter of Principals) Starlight has a tendency to use magic to solve her problems or to decide things for others without consulting them. ("Every little thing she does" or selling Trixie's wagon) But both have shown they have a good heart. I guess my issue mostly is, that with Discord, the other Mane 6 shifted the responsibility to Fluttershy. While with Starlight her reform seems more like a team effort.

Newbie Dash: I could never fully understand why this episode got so many negative reactions. I mean, I can understand why people feel that way, but this episode explored a different side of RD and showed a more vulnerable side of her. She was acting like someone else in an attempt to run away from her own fears. Her character would have been humiliated if there had been no point to it, but they concluded it with a valuable lesson in the end. I always felt this episode made RD grow as a character. Fame and Misfortune (Some fans seemed to take it a bit too personal. The episode had a good lesson and it was interesting seeing the Mane 6 act under different circumstances) A Matter of Principals. (While Discord acted like a jerk, Starlight kind of set it in motion by wrongly assuming she already knew him (We're save Equestria buddies) and dismissed him. Spike knows DIscord well enough that he could tell something was wrong, but Starlight made matters worse by challenging Discord and keeping him out. The episode itself had a valuable lesson that you shouldn't just assume that you know someone (Starlight) and that you should talk about something if it bothers you instead of bottling it up. (Discord) After "The Best Gift Ever" I feel more understanding about Discord's motivations regarding Starlight (Even though what he did was wrong) as it seemed the Mane 6 were leaving him out a lot of things. And then there was Starlight who was redeemed just like him, yet they involve her in almost everything.

Season 8. I liked the addition of the Student 6, I liked both the premiere and the finale, and it had most of the episodes I liked of a season.

The point is more that they went way too far with it. It made a caricature out of their characters. The issue isn't as much (at least for me) RD and Applejack having a rivalry, but doing so not only at the expense of the students but also by endangering them. There was no apology from them and then they kept on going with their competitiveness in a different way

For Twilight I can't really pinpoint an episode. Her growth felt more gradual. Your second post in this thread made me smile because your episodes that changed your view about Rainbow Dash are almost the same as mine. Read it and Weep was the first episode that began to change my mind about RD. It showed a different and (like you said) more dorky side of her. Sleepless in Ponyville did so much for RD's character. (Her literally taking Scootaloo under her wing is still one of my most favorite moments) Another episode that connected with me was Tanks for the Memories. It showed how much RD cared for Tank and how much she wanted to keep him with her. Newbie Dash also connected with me because I could understand what she was going through. Rainbow Dash's ending scene felt for me as one of the turning points for her character in the series. There were other episodes that made me like RD more and made me understand her character better. (For example The Washouts) Which also felt like another pivotal moment for Rainbow Dash.

For me Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash. Twilight has really grown from someone who closed herself off from others into a kind and understanding pony. I had difficulty liking Rainbow Dash in the earlier seasons. But she has grown a lot over the seasons into someone who has not only become more humble but also more selfless.

One thing that I also liked in this special was that it shed some more light on the interactions between Discord and Rainbow Dash. Except for that episode in season 5 "What about Discord" (Which contradicted Rainbow's attitude towards him) RD usually was the most hostile and distrusting out of all the Mane 6. I always felt she had never fully forgiven him for what he did in the season 2 premiere. Discord had attacked the very core of her being by turning her loyalty against her friends. I liked how we could see Rainbow's annoyance in this special. She didn't really see him as a friend and was still mostly tolerating him. The progression in Rainbow Dash's attitude towards Discord was cleverly done. It felt almost like her inviting Discord in the end was also her realizing he didn't deserve to be treated this way and that she had to let go of the past. Her line "Fluttershy would love having you, and... I wouldn't totally hate it" really means a lot coming from her. She could have just said Fluttershy would love it and leave it at that, but RD adding the second half adds so much meaning to it.

I really enjoyed the special. The songs were great, there were definitely some memorable and fun moments, I loved the addition of the reindeers (spirits?), I really liked DIscord's role here as a kind of mentor-figure. and the ending with everyone was heartwarming. Only thing I didn't like as much was the scene with Flim and Flam. We've already seen that several times before and although the message was good, it felt more like a side-story to fill time. But other than that, it was a nice special with some great moments.

I'm actually looking forward to this. Seems like a fun special. Bonus points for making Spike part of group for the gifts. Now I'm keeping my fingers crossed Discord will not only play a role but will be invited in the end as well.

I voted "Definitely no." I really like the Student 6 but I don't see them being able to carry an entire season by themselves. They likely do have a few episodes for themselves and possibly play an important role nearing the finale. The Mane 6 should be the protagonists. I mean, they are the ones we all know and love. To change the protagonists in the final season would be strange, not to mention the impact it would have on all the merchandise. I wouldn't mind though if it's hinted at the end of the series that the torch of the Elements will eventually be passed on to them.

You make a very good point. I agree Starlight's forgiveness was too fast. (I mean, having a friendship song at the end of a pretty dark finale was pushing it) But she did have to work hard in the following seasons to redeem herself. Starlight was sorry in the end and accepted Twilight's help. The justice system in Equestria seems pretty big on giving someone a second chance if that someone realizes the error of his/her ways. Then it becomes something like "You have new friends who will help you to become a better person." Twilight gave Cozy Glow a chance when she asked why she had done this. If Cozy had shown remorse for her actions and realized she had been wrong, I'm sure she would have received a second chance. (Especially because Starlight was right behind Twilight) Instead Cozy became even more insane and doubled down on her ideals and stated she would do it all over again. It probably boils down to Equestria being very forgiving if you admit your mistakes, but very punishing if you don't. Cozy Glow has a high level of charisma and seems to be able to manipulate almost everyone she meets. My guess is that she was locked up in Tartarus because then she would have no interaction with any other pony. Just like Tirek had to be locked away because they could not keep him prisoner in the real world. It's also possible there's something about Cozy we don't know yet and that there was another reason they had her locked up in Tartarus.

Totally. This episode gave us another insight to the character of Rainbow Dash. I love how over the course of the seasons we can really see RD grow and develop as a character. Personally I feel that out of the Mane 6, RD is the character with the most depth. After that episode I finally understood where Rainbow Dash's cheering skills were coming from. (Like when she cheered Scootaloo on in "The cart before the ponies.") In an older post from a year ago I made a guess that (at least part of) her competitive nature stemmed from the fact she may have felt undeserving to be cheered on even when she didn't win, motivating her to try harder and at least be deserving of her parent's support, even if it may have been embarassing. It's interesting how RD drew the line with the Wonderbolts. We already knew from "Newbie Dash" she cares a lot about what the Wonderbolts think of her, and she was more worried than ever about the consequences. What I also liked was to see the Wonderbolts with some friendly teasing and jokes, and being supportive and helping her in the end. It showed Rainbow really is part of the team now.

You make a very good point. Yeah, Newbie Dash does feel like a part of a wider arc and also being vital to Rainbow Dash's character development. I always was surprised why so many people hated Newbie Dash. I understand why but I couldn't tell if it was because of the Wonderbolt storyline or about Rainbow Dash's portrayal and/or humiliation? For me personally Newbie Dash always was one of my favorite episodes of the series. Especially because it gave another important insight into RD's character and motivations. A few years ago I once posted this about the episode:

There was not much else he could have done. Keeping the Student 6 prisoner could spark a war with the other kingdoms. His reasoning was probably that expelling them from Equestria would either disrupt their plan and/or make it easier for Equestria to defend their borders without having to worry for sabotage from within. This scene showed that Neighsay didn't want to harm non-ponies. He was very narrow-minded though.

Congratulations! I remember those episodes. (His scene with Hera still gives me chills) She wrote almost every major episode with Thrawn in it during season 3. She really nailed his character. One thing I like about her writing is that she has a preference to push the antagonists a bit further in the conflict with the good guys. I remember one episode where Thrawn killed a factory worker by forcing him to ride a speeder the worker himself had assembled and sabotaged. In Ninja Turtles 2012 it was the same with Karai, and in MLP with Discord.