Cleverclover

I'd have to agree, honestly. 

Fluttershy is honestly the only one of the mane six who has actually improved and progressed this season. 

That was kinda underwhelming.    

The plot was set up rather quickly, but then it took a mind-numbingly long time for the episode to actually go somewhere. The scene just before they started the game should have only lasted a minute at most, but instead, the episode wasted time on Discord's lengthy arrival and him trying to guess at what they were about to do. I just really think the episode could have used its time better than it did. 

That said, I liked Discord and his antics. The Celestia face in particular was hilarious, though granted, the scene in which it happened was filler. 

Not a bad episode overall, just really average. 

I thought this clip would show part of a battle sequence or something. There's nothing about this clip that screams "epic" to me. 

In any case, it is nice to finally see Discord again. 

Considering she was not only raised in Canterlot but somehow able to have a princess babysitting her before earning her Cutie Mark, there's no doubt that Twilight was born to very, very affluent parents. Frankly, it's mildly annoying that the show brushes this off as no big deal, considering that it just adds to the sense that she's a special snowflake favored by destiny in every possible way. After all, even if she hadn't been gifted with incredible mental prowess and a magical talent that screamed CHOSEN ONE so loudly that the supreme ruler of the land became her mentor and began grooming her for a magical ascension only done once before in all of known history, and even if said ascended individual hadn't been her babysitter for no clear reason and subsequently married into the family, Twilight would have been financially secure for life from the moment she was born.

SO. MUCH. THIS.

Consider also that Twilight was able to live (presumably) rent-free within Ponyville's library and that she was never shown to have any financial difficulties, nor any apparent need to get an actual job. 

So yes, Twilight was most definitely born with a silver spoon in her mouth, and it was a major factor as to how she got to where she is now. 

Why do I get the feeling that whatever Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie are upset over, it's relatively minor and something that they're definitely making a big deal out of for nothing? Several episodes this season have had some absolutely terrible characterizations for the mane six, and I can easily see this episode being yet another one. 

And Twilight, as always, has to play the level-headed straight man and will most likely make all three of them look foolish and petty by the end of the episode.  

Yeah, not excited for this....

I haven't noticed that. Not sure why that is! 

It wasn't in season 5 much either. Oh well.

So in addition to bridging the gap of hostility between dragons and ponies, Spike's actions have now endeavored to help changelings embrace friendship and thus become less hostile. 

I swear, at this rate, Spike is going to single-handedly save Equestria for all time. 

Hello Ward, and thank you for contributing to one of the best episodes of season 6 up to this point. 

I notice that season 6 has been a bit lacking on spinning (by that I mean the kind of whirlwind-like spinning which happens when someone/something rushes quickly past a character). Is there any particular reason for that? Just asking because I like the cartoon physics of this show.  :-P

I can safely say that this is the first episode I've enjoyed since The Saddle Row Review. 

Spike has clearly been treated well this season, far better than most of the mane six. His development really shined here, and I'm really glad that he's getting more episodes in which he displays his own friendship lessons that he's learned alongside Twilight and her friends. Between this and Gauntlet of Fire, season 6 has really made up for the disastrous Princess Spike, his only episode last season.   In any case, I'm really glad that this season has progressed at least one character. 

I absolutely loved how Twilight was first to stand up for Spike. That was a particularly touching moment between them that we don't seem to get too much anymore. 

Also, for the very first time, Starlight had an episode in which her past was not brought up. I guess that's no longer a requirement for her. However, she still hovered around Twilight nearly the entire time, just as she usually does. 

Overall, I really liked this one, and I honestly wasn't sure I'd say that about another season 6 episode. 

Boy, where have I seen this thread before?  Oh, right.... 

https://mlpforums.com/topic/153789-has-my-little-pony-been-nothing-but-a-joke-all-this-time/ 

I'm quite certain that you don't see "nothing but hate" for season 6, especially on Equestria Daily. It's still a minority opinion, and you just notice it more. 

Some people just feel that the show has reached a point where the quality has dropped. Truthfully, this was inevitable. Cartoons especially have a tendency to succumb to seasonal rot after running consistently for over five years with well over 100 episodes under its belt. 

It's perfectly fine if you don't think it's reached that point yet, but if it keeps running, then you probably will at some point. Until then, don't worry about the opinions of others. 

She's Hasbro's chosen one, that for sure. 

Who the hell keeps bumping this thread? 

Honestly, if you think Twilight is a Mary Sue in the show, you really ought to take a good look at the comics. If any argument whatsoever can be made in favor of her being a Mary Sue, it's definitely within the comics. 

The comics treat Twilight as though she is absolutely limitless, as though there is virtually nothing that could qualify as "impossible" for her. They have given her insanely overpowered spells, including the ability to take away another unicorn's magic similar to Aang from Avatar: The Last Airbender. They have also given her other abilities related to her intelligence.

The comic writers clearly do hold the perception that she is a Mary Sue. Either that, or the comic Twilight is simply intended to be a parody of her actual self. 

Bottom line, there does seem to be a reason for the perception that Twilight is a Mary Sue. She's still annoyingly overpowered and possesses more abilities than any of her friends (outside of Starlight). 

I myself would really like to know what is with all this sudden hatred for season six, despite seasons one and two being really awful, yet no one ever complains about them. Why?

How about reading through some responses in this thread to get your answer instead of making assumptions? If you actually bother to read, you'll see that people have given legitimate reasoning as to why they're disappointed with season 6. 

Also, I'm pretty sure that the reason no one talks about season 1 and 2 being awful is because most people actually don't consider them to be awful. 

The CMC's story is done now, I don't see anything else to be done with them

No, their story did not end with them getting cutie marks. It simply turned over a new chapter as they now figure out how they will put their talents to actual use.

On Your Marks at least gave us some idea as to how the CMC will utilize their talents, but it mostly ignored the question as to how they will actually find ponies struggling with cutie marks, since it was nothing but pure luck that they happened to stumble upon Tender Taps. 

Then you have The Cart Before the Ponies which flat-out feels like a pointless filler episode. That episode honestly belonged in season 1, when the ReMane 3's characterization would have been at least somewhat excusable. Not only did the episode characterize them poorly, but it did absolutely nothing for the CMC's arc, leading me to believe that they're now in limbo and really in no better position than they were before they had cutie marks. And that's more than a little disheartening, given that the continuation of their arc was easily one of the biggest reasons season 6 had for existing. 

These are my personal issues with season 6:

- There's no season-long arc, and it really just feels like the season isn't going anywhere or leading up to anything. 

- The mane six are mostly just spinning their wheels at this point, occasionally moving forward, but mostly moving backwards or in circles. 

- Barely anything is being done with Starlight. 

- Barely anything is being done with the post-marked CMC. 

- The writing in general has been very hit-or-miss. 

- Fifteen episodes in, and I feel that the season has been rather pointless overall, as though it was only made for the sake of padding out the show's length and not much else. Again, this is because the mane six aren't really progressing, and the arcs for Starlight and the CMC have pretty much stagnated already. 

while season 4 had "Rainbow Falls" which regressed RD every bit as much as "Newbie Dash" or "28 Pranks Later," and generally ignoring RD's growth in maturity in favour of some form of immaturity is really par for the course by now.

Rainbow Falls was definitely among my least favorite season 4 episodes. That said, it was a key episode, and was thus deliberately written in such a way where Rainbow Dash would be tested to uphold her element. I don't take issue with that concept, but I do take issue with how it was implemented, specifically because she was heavily influenced by Twilight's guilt tripping. 

Newbie Dash, on the other hand, is disappointing because we're shown that all of the effort Rainbow Dash previously made to change the Wonderbolts and strengthen their loyal bonds with each other has amounted to almost nothing. And that's on top of how disappointing it is that the dream she has longed for from the very first moment we met her character was finally achieved in such a way that left her unsatisfied. 

And for crying out loud, 28 Pranks Later had a scene in which the mane six scold Rainbow Dash for her initial prank, as if Fluttershy is a little sister who went to her parents to tell them that her big sister was being mean to her. Is that really what I want to see from our main characters six seasons into the show?! 

Oh, and speaking of the key episodes, another thing season 6 is lacking that the previous two didn't is a season-long arc. No new arcs were introduced for the mane six in the premiere, and as I said, the arcs that this season does have are being largely ignored for whatever reason. I'm not sure what's going to happen with Starlight when we get to the finale, but there certainly won't be much build up for it. Hell, I'm half expecting that she'll end up returning to her town and thus be (largely) written out of the show. Honestly, how am I expected to believe that she'll receive her own seat in Twilight's castle and become a "mane seventh" when she has virtually no relationship whatsoever with the mane five and still feels like an exclusive friend of Twilight's? 

Without a season-long arc, this season doesn't feel like it's building up to anything, which again makes it feel all the more pointless. The first three seasons didn't need arcs because the mane six were still learning about friendship, with Twilight's learning mostly set in season 1 while the rest of the mane five learned throughout seasons 2 and 3, and the key arc of season 4 acting as a "final exam" of sorts. 

Moreover, what I don't understand is how seasons 4 and 5 actually progressed the mane six as characters all that much, given that season 4 frequently had characters reaffirm traits without actually changing at all, and that season 5 quite frequently shoved all its focus onto a secondary character with the mane six really only there so we can see this other character's dilemma.

Season 5 progressed the mane six into the role of teachers/mentors. The map arc was introduced as a way for them to spread what they've learned to the rest of Equestria. Beyond that, I think the characterization of the mane six was simply much better last season. I will agree with you that Fluttershy's characterization was a massive improvement in Flutter Brutter, and I will admit to season 6's credit that Spike has had easily the best episode he's ever had this season.  

..did we not watch the same seasons 4 and 5? I might be satisfied with the show merely being good most of the time, as opposed to the frequently awful previous two seasons, but I have no idea where people are coming from when they think that the mane six floundering is something new. If you don't like this season, whatever, but I'm utterly confounded about how this season is any more stagnant than the previous couple. 

Seasons 4 and 5 still had the mane six learning relevant lessons or otherwise doing things that progressed them as characters. I'll admit there were exceptions. For instance, I didn't like Fluttershy's characterization in Scare Master after showing so much competence earlier in the season, and I also didn't like Twilight's hubris in What About Discord, but these were still two episodes in which they learned lessons they hadn't learned before. 

As for season 6, we have both the post-marked CMC, and Starlight learning lessons as Twilight's student as two avenues by which this season can show our characters progressing. And yet, how has season 6 treated these two developments? Starlight is such a no-show at this point that I'm entirely curious as to why she even joined the cast in the first place, and the post-marked CMC have barely made even a dent in their new arc and remain in almost the exact same place they were before they got their cutie marks. 

On top of that, what are we getting instead? Episodes that regress the mane six's development. 28 Pranks Later featured a Rainbow Dash that hasn't been seen since season 2, and Spice Up Your Life featured a Rarity whose beliefs and values were the exact opposite of what they were in last season's Canterlot Boutique. Oh, but it's okay! Because this season has lots of gimmicks like fake zombies, and that's what I really want instead of meaningful character development!

This is why season 6 feels so damn pointless to me. If this season is going to ignore the new developments that it has and instead only endeavor to take the mane six back instead of forward, then why the hell was it even made? 

Opinion 3: "I want consistent, high-quality and profound writing from a children's show that is running out of ideas, keeps bringing in new writers and is mostly focused on light-hearted comedy instead of in-depth characterization or complex, unpredictable plots. This episode doesn't have the things I want, so I don't like it."

Hell, I don't even care about complex plots at this point. I just care about episodes that actually don't regress our main characters up to five seasons back in development. 

And even McCarthy is not really that good. I'm not that impressed by her two parters and this story of "28 pranks later" is from her, too.

You know, I'd imagine that McCarthy actually came up with the idea for 28 Pranks Later back during season 1 or 2, and this new writer eventually found it and decided to finally make an episode out of it. 

Overall, it really just doesn't seem that she would have intended it for a sixth season, when Jerkish/Prankster Dash should have been a thing of the past. 

And yeah, McCarthy's two parters tend to be full of plot holes, but she's highly competent when it comes to normal episodes. 

Long answer: Did anyone really expect Season 6 to be as good as those preceding?

Um, yes?

Or at the very least, I thought that season 6 would have more of a purpose than to regress our main characters and throw pointless gimmicks at us. 

We've had Rarity open a new boutique and Dash finally get into the Wonderbolts (though it came with a highly disappointing episode), and apart from that, the mane six have barely accomplished anything this season. And even more surprising, the CMC aren't really going anywhere themselves, as they've already had an episode which easily could have aired before they had cutie marks. 

And hell, for all the drama surrounding Starlight, barely anything is being done with her either. So ultimately, what's the point of this season? 

The main purpose is to satisfy the fans for the time being.

I'm certainly not satisfied in seeing the mane six flounder and learn lessons that they already learned several seasons ago. 

Season 7 will likely satisfy you again.

Ugh, I don't want to even think about a season 7 at this point. Once Spongebob started going downhill, it certainly didn't get better as it moved forward. With AKR gone, and with no guarantee that McCarthy and Larson will ever return, I don't think the show is in for a bright future....   

Probably the whoopee cushion. It was tame compared to her other pranks, and up until then, we never actually knew that ponies could fart. 

Nearly every character is inconsistent in their characterization at this point. Season 6 seems to have taken our main characters in nearly every direction but forwards. 

They've gone backwards (Rarity in Spice Up Your Life, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity in The Cart Before the Ponies) and in circles (Applejack in Applejack's "Day" Off, Rainbow Dash in Newbie Dash), but rarely forwards. 

And it's so irritating....

Of course people are complaining about the opening scene and I get where they're coming from, but I've said this before and I'm going to say it again: the moment a character loses their flaws is the moment I write them off as uninteresting.

So character regression is perfectly fine as long as the mane six still have flaws....even if they're the same flaws they overcame in previous episodes?  

And why wasn't Starlight in this episode? 

Because it's more or less been established that she doesn't appear unless it's convenient for Twilight in some way. 

Yet another gem from season 6. 

An episode that flat-out ignores the previous development a character has received and compensates for it by inserting an utterly pointless gimmick. 

Our characters aren't moving forward. Only back, or in circles. Golly, I do so love this season.