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Batbrony

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Blog Entries posted by Batbrony

  1. Batbrony
    "Hearth's Warming Eve" is a brilliant episode in MLP canon, and that's saying something considering it's really a holiday episode in every sense of the word. The entire episode is focused on the origins of the Hearth's Warming Eve holiday, and Equestria as well, and usually an episode like that in most other kids shows would end up being just a filler episode with average quality at best or substandard quality at the worst. But with "Hearth's Warming Eve", Studio B gave us a highly entertaining, unique episode that took a delightful deviation from the normal episode formula and also provided a fascinating look at Equestrian culture and history. So obviously, the first thing to talk about for an episode like this is the holiday itself: what makes Hearth's Warming Eve such a great fictional holiday? Well, last year around late fall/early winter, I actually took it upon myself to examine just what I personally love about Hearth's Warming Eve, in particular its emphasis on the importance of history. In the spoiler tag below is the content of the topic I started almost a year ago, which I figured made more sense to just copy and paste here rather than re-analyze it all over again. Mind you, they're fairly extensive thoughts, but well worth the read. Enjoy!
     
     
     
     
    Besides the awesome emphasis on the importance of history just extensively reviewed in the spoiler tag above, there are plenty of other things I love about the holiday as well. It's a very unique, original holiday that's not just a Christmas knockoff which so often you see show up in holiday episodes, the pageant is very fun to watch, and this is the only episode to date to give us a look at Canterlot at wintertime, and the first episode since "Winter Wrap Up" back in Season 1 to give us a look at any of Equestria during wintertime. Overall, Hearth's Warming Eve is a great fictional holiday and a wonderful addition to the MLP canon, one of the best in all of Season 2 in fact.
     




    Equestria's origins explained in two words.


     




    Hi Derpy, a Happy Hearth's Warming Eve to you too!!!


     
     
    Besides the holiday itself, the story told in the episode, that is, the origins of the holiday and Equestria, is fantastic! It's very fun, and kind of meta even, seeing the Mane 6 playing roles besides, well, themselves, even though these historical figures seemingly have similar personalities to our favorite group of pony friends. The leader-assistant duos are all fun to watch, and Pinkie Pie especially gets major props for simply stealing every scene she's in as Chancellor Puddinghead!!! "The Heart Carol" at the end of the episode, while short, is a lovely song and different from most others we've had in the show, clearly drawing influence from our own Christmas carols while at the same time having its own unique and original style, tune, and lyrics. The episode also has an extremely fun Derpy cameo; her breaking the fourth wall and waving not only at the pony audience, but also the TV audience as well, is simply delightful, and one of her better cameos in the entire show. The windigos are a very interesting addition as well to the MLP creature canon, and it'd be very interesting (albeit unlikely) to see if they ever pop up at any point in the future. The animation as usual is spot on, from the wintry, festive streets of Canterlot, to the decorated pageant hall and the paradise of ancient Equestria, every setting is lovely to look at and has its own unique look and flavor. Overall, there's really nothing wrong with "Hearth's Warming Eve" at all; it's simply a wonderful, fantastic episode that encapsulates the best that "MLP:FiM" has to offer, everything that makes the show great! It's one of the best episodes in all of MLP worth rewatching, especially around Christmas time, and if you're looking for laughs, a great story, a wonderful lesson on the power of friendship, and some awesome, holiday-themed festivities to boot, this episode is the one to check out. May the fire of friendship always live on in all of our hearts!!!
     

    Take it away ladies!!!


     




     



  2. Batbrony
    Uh oh, watch out everypony, here comes SPIKEZILLA!!!


     

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnK0IFyiAts

     
    Besides of course how simply awesome he is in "The Crystal Empire: Part 1 and Part 2", "Secret of My Excess" is probably Spike's best episode to date, for good reason. It's a very fun episode, but also a very revealing one, with some interesting revelations about dragon behavior in MLP canon, some very great developments in character relationships, particularly between Spike and Rarity, and best of all, some wonderful moments of friendship.
     
    So to start, let's cover Spike. This little guy's got a lot going on in this episode. For starters, it's his birthday (which I find interesting seeing as it so closely follows Twilight's birthday, which was celebrated in the previous episode), and his first birthday in Ponyville at that. Prior to the celebration he does one of the kindest things he's ever done in the show and gives a fire ruby he's been, as he puts it, ripening for months to be a birthday present to himself to Rarity after she expresses great admiration for it! Now, let me go on a tangent simply to say this: FIE TO EVERYONE WHO COMPLAINS THAT RARITY'S A JERK AND UNGENEROUS FOR ACCEPTING THIS FROM SPIKE!!!! Despite displaying GREAT admiration for the ruby, Rarity never once asks for it and only accepts it after Spike absolutely insists she take it! She also doesn't just utilize it in some outfit for her business, but proudly displays it as a mark of Spike's great kindness and generosity. It's a great moment for Spike and his relationship with Rarity, and I'm sick of hearing bronies complain about it, so that's that. In hindsight, this moment also highlights just how different and, to be frank, better a dragon Spike is than most members of his species, especially once we learn just how ingrained greed is in dragons' DNA in the MLP universe later in the episode.
     
    Anyways, tangent over, back to Spike. After getting a well-deserved peck on the cheek from Rarity for his great generosity (which the little guy's probably been dreaming about since he first met Rarity back in Season 1), Spike has a great birthday. In fact, it's probably the best birthday he's ever had, seeing as he gets all kinds of presents from not only Twilight, but all of the Mane 6. Most of his birthday is in fact a fun scene, seeing as the practically seventh main character of the show is so seldom in the spotlight. I especially love when Spike gets a pimp hat from Cheerilee; what she was doing with that in the first place, I will never know, but I really want to!
     



     




    "Happy Birthday Spike! Here, have this pimp hat!"


     

    "Woah..."


     




    "...I always wanted my own pimp hat! It completes the ensemble!!!"


     
    Anyways, things of course start getting out of control when Spike finds that he likes getting presents from others a little too much; soon, after some rapid growth spurts that can't possibly have been just because of puberty, we learn that all the material goods received have triggered some type of inherent desire for as many material goods as possible that it seems all dragons have. I really like this detail seeing as it's a very natural way to add a rather important, big detail about the MLP universe as a whole without deviating from, but rather progressing, the storyline of an episode. Pretty soon, Spike gets out of control and grows enormous, hilarity, peril, and gratuitous destruction ensue, but after Rarity appeals to Spike's true self, Spike goes back to normal, lesson is learned that it's far more rewarding to give to your friends than receive, and a solid episode is brought to an end. Like I said, this is really a great episode for Spike, and until "The Crystal Empire: Part 1 and Part 2" it was probably his best!
     
    Next, let's cover Rarity. I had a lot of problems with her behavior in "Sisterhooves Social" and "Sweet and Elite", so I'm very happy to say that she very much makes up for her errors in those two episodes here. She's extraordinarily kind to Spike, very, very generous to her friends in that she designs capes for all of them free of charge after being inspired by Spike's own generosity, and just all around the likable Rarity she should've been in her starring roles earlier in the Season! This is the Rarity I love, the Rarity who has a truly generous, good heart all while still exhibiting an over-the-top, larger than life personality. Besides those positive traits, Rarity has some very memorable, funny moments throughout the episode, especially towards the end after her abduction by Spikezilla. Overall, this episode is a big reason I am far more forgiving of Rarity's behavior in "Sweet and Elite" than I probably should be, because it confirmed that, despite some major insensitivity in the previous episode, she was still the same mature, likable, generous pony she'd always been.
     




    I can still haz fire ruby??? Oh thank u!!! I luv u Spikey Wikey!!!


     
    Besides Spike and Rarity, a big part of what makes this such a solid episode is the comedy. First, we've got a plot-ton of fantastic references galore, from a very clever musical reference to "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" at the beginning of the episode when Twilight is re-shelving her books, to the not-so-subtle-but-all-the-same-deliciously-awesome King Kong/Godzilla send-ups at the end of the episode when Spike transforms into Spikezilla. Twilight's sibling-like behavior with Spike makes for some very funny moments as usual, especially when she's trying to figure out why he's grown so large so fast, Spikezilla in general is absolutely hilarious, and the rest of the Mane 6 all have their own funny moments, such as Applejack when Spike is stealing her apples and leaves, Pinkie Pie when Spike is trying to steal her cakes, and Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy when they attempt to stop Spikezilla and later when they save Spike and Rarity from falling to their doom. There is an absolutely lovely moment at the very end of the episode when Rarity and Spike are plummeting to their doom and Spike tries to share his feelings with Rarity; when she silences him, tears in her eyes and smiling back, it's a really very touching moment, conveying that she knows how he feels and really does appreciate his affections for her, whether or not she will ever be able to return them in the same way. Finally, I love the closing scene itself just because I wish more episodes ended like this one; all the Mane 6 gathered together as the lesson of the week is delivered, just enjoying each other's company. Lovely, simply lovely.
     
    Overall, "Secret of My Excess" is a solid episode, one of Spike's best, and definitely a fun one to rewatch. Despite not being among the most spectacular of episodes in MLP history, it's definitely a notable episode with great comedy, some interesting canon, and even some lovely, touching scenes, and if you're looking for a great Spike episode, I'd start here. Besides "The Crystal Empire: Part 1 and Part 2", they don't get much better than this for Spike!
     




    And who says dreams don't come true? Keep on trucking Spike; someday, you just may win her heart!


  3. Batbrony
    Oh boy, "Sweet and Elite", hmmm... remember how I said back in my "Sisterhooves Social" review that I have a love-hate relationship with Rarity's starring roles in Season 2? Well, that applies to this episode as well just as much, if not more so, than it did in "Sisterhooves Social". So, rather than focus on the good in this episode first, let's look at just what the devil is wrong with Rarity in this episode.
     

    Hey Rarity, wanna troll bronies by acting like a terrible friend this episode? C'mon, you know you want to; I'll give you a banana!!!

    Well, to be frank, like Rainbow Dash in "The Mysterious Mare Do Well", Rarity is kind of a jerk, albeit far less obviously than RD was in that episode. Rather than being far too boastful, Rarity's biggest flaw in this episode is that she's extremely deceptive! She lies or deliberately withholds information from pretty much everypony she interacts with in this episode, both her friends and the Canterlot elite whom she befriends, all in order to simply climb in her social status. She does her best to hide her Ponyville roots from Fancy Pants and the rest of the Canterlot social elite, she flat out lies to her friends and tells them that she has to miss Twilight's party because Opalescence is sick (which she's not), a lie which she keeps up with and says to their faces once they come all the way to Canterlot just so they can celebrate Twilight's own birthday with her (seriously, bless their hearts), she tells dozens of lies at Twilight's Birthday Party/the Canterlot Garden Party to both her friends and the Canterlot elite, the list goes on and on and on. I know that on the one hand she's trying to not hurt her friends feelings, but on the other hand you know that she's looking out for herself just as much if not more in her deception. She doesn't want to lose the social status that she's acquired in her time in Canterlot, and at the same time she doesn't want to come across as an insensitive jerk to her friends (which quite frankly she behaves like more and more as the episode continues). Basically, she unabashedly is looking out for herself for very petty reasons from start to finish with her friends a secondary concern, and that rubs me the wrong way because that's simply not Rarity, at least not the Rarity I grew to love in Season 1! Heck, she's not even looking out for her business interests as Twilight thinks she is once the latter realizes she's been sneaking back and forth between her party and the Canterlot Garden Party!!! I mean it, not once does she say something like, "Oh Opalescence, I just HAVE to become best of friends with the Canterlot elite because it'll be great for my business", not even as justification!!! But the reason this really ticks me off more than Rainbow's behavior in "The Mysterious Mare Do Well" is because Rarity, unlike Rainbow Dash, besides some panic at the thought of getting caught, does not really suffer any consequences for her actions! RD was rightfully-so knocked down a peg because she was acting like a jerk, but Rarity doesn't so much as get a scolding from either her friends or the Canterlot elite, despite a second of a few snooty looks from the likes of Jet Set and Upper Crust at the end once they know who her friends are! Instead, her friends are COMPLETELY understanding, Fancy Pants just shakes off the fact that Rarity's been hiding who she is, and Rarity acts like everything's all hunky dory. I'm not saying that anyone should've held a grudge against her or anything, and yes, I think that people, especially good friends, should be understanding and forgiving of their friends' mistakes, but seriously, after the way Rarity behaved in this episode, there should've been at least disapproving glances and remarks from her friends!!! She learned a good lesson, yes, but I don't know, she didn't even get so much as a slap on the wrist so to speak, and that just rubs me the wrong way.
     

    Oh Rarity, I can't stay mad at you; you may do some pretty insensitive things in this episode, but gosh bucking dang it that is ADORABLE!!!

    OK, all of that said, why do I still love this episode? Well, because pretty much everything else about it, besides Rarity's behavior, works like a charm! This is the first episode of the show set entirely in Canterlot, and it's very cool getting to see the royal city extensively, it really is, very nice change from the usual rural setting in Ponyville or the Everfree Forest. Daniel Ingram provides a lovely addition to MLP's soundtrack in the song "Becoming Popular", Rarity's only solo of Season 2 I might add; while I love each of the Mane 6's singing voices equally, each one fitting their particular pony to a T, if I'm being honest I have to say that Rarity's singing voice is the most vocally matured and refined of all six, and I adore hearing it every time she sings!!! The comedy is great from start to finish; Rarity's a drama queen as usual, the Mane 6, especially at Twilight's birthday, are simply to die for (not to mention that this episode introduced us to Pinkie Pie's party cannon, WHICH IS SIMPLY LEGEND!!!), and Opalescence herself provides some great laughs when she's on screen. Besides Jet Set and Upper Crust, I really don't mind most of the Canterlot elite that much; sure they're a bit wound tight, but that's just the culture that they belong to, and they don't seem to be all that bad aside from, again, jerks like Jet Set and Upper Crust, plus to be fair, if the Mane 6 were behaving at a party like they do when they crash the Canterlot Garden Party, I'd probably be freaking out too (seriously, was it Twilight's 21st B-day and they just got hammered drunk on cider before they went to the garden party?), plus I can't fail to mention Fancy Pants, a lovely addition to the supporting cast, not to mention just a cool, very chill dude all around. This guy is awesome, and I honestly can't think of one bad thing to say about him; from what we've seen of him, he's a classical, legitimate, bonafide gentleman, or rather, gentlecolt in every sense of the word. Good on him for that! Finally, the rest of the Mane 6 besides Rarity are extremely good friends in this episode; they go all the way to Canterlot so they can celebrate TWILIGHT'S birthday with RARITY, they throw Twilight a rocking awesome birthday, Fluttershy tries to care some for Opal when she thinks she's sick, Twilight adores the unfinished dress that Rarity didn't complete for her and is just all around adorkable in this episode, Pinkie Pie has a party cannon, the list goes on and on!!!!
     

    Behold, Canterlot's resident King of Swag!!! Also, trophy wives are now canon.
    This episode just keeps getting better and better by the minute!
     

    By Fausticorn's wings!!! It's... it's so beautiful!!!
    This is quite simply one of the most epic things to ever grace a television screen!!!!!!!!!
     

    That is simply awesome; Twilight's birthday party is seriously a great scene that highlights just how far the Mane 6 have come since they first met!

    So yeah, when you get down to it, everything works spectacularly in this episode besides Rarity's behavior, and while I can only label it as a very good rather than a truly outstanding episode, that does not mean I don't enjoy rewatching it because there are simply too many great things in this episode that make it a fun one to watch over and over again! Definitely a great addition to MLP canon, even if I have some serious problems with the episode's main character's behavior.
  4. Batbrony
    "Sisterhooves Social" is the last of the homeruns that we got at the beginning of Season 2; I consider these first five episodes to be among some of the best in MLP canon for varying reasons. Each one made their own unique contributions to the show, from starting the season off with a bang, introducing a new format or character to the show, and/or adding to or expanding upon the MLP universe. "Sisterhooves Social", while definitely the most normal episode out of these first five, qualifies as a classic for one big reason: it was the first episode of MLP to really follow the new formula for learning friendship lessons first introduced in "Lesson Zero". Sure, Princess Celestia may have told Twilight in that episode specifically that any of her friends were to report to her from then on whatever lessons they learned on friendship, and only when they learned them, but "Sisterhooves Social" was actually the first episode in which Twilight was not involved with the friendship lesson/report in any way, shape, or form. Obviously this little detail isn't the only thing that makes this episode work so well, so let's look at everything that does.
     
    Well first of all, the fact that family is at the center of this episode really is quite interesting. In Season 1, aside from the fact that we learned which ponies were related to who, family was really never a focus of any episode. Every friendship lesson learned was usually gathered as a result of non-familial interactions and relations, usually between the Mane 6 or the CMC. This episode however gave us the first lesson ever picked up between family members in the show, siblings to be specific. Rarity and Sweetie Belle are the focus of this episode, and I really like that those two (the older, refined fashionista and drama queen along with her precocious, spunky, energetic, and adorable little sister), who really don't seem to have anything in common were the focus of the episode. It showed that not only were Twilight's friends going to be more invested in future friendship lessons, but also that they would not just be limited to learning lessons between themselves, but also family members. Those are important lessons, because friendship is a part of family relations just as much, if not more even, than it is a part of any relations one has outside of his/her family, but also, friendship between family is very different in many ways as well, so the fact that Studio B decided to progress to tackling family relations thematically impresses me very much. From this point forth in the show, family could just as easily be the focus of attention of an episode as non-familial, friendly relations could be, and often has been. So, just what do Sweetie Belle and Rarity learn that's so important?
     
    Well, I guess I'll start by covering Sweetie Belle. For starters, she doesn't really learn a lesson in this episode; really, from the very beginning she's pretty much got everything figured out. Sure she makes plenty of mistakes, but her heart is in the right place from the get go; she just wants to spend time with her big sister while she gets to stay at her place while their parents are on vacation (as an aside, I absolutely LOVE their parents!!! I still bust a gut every time I hear those delicious, cheeseheaded Wisconsin accents that I am all too familiar with in my own family coming out of Rarity and Sweetie Belle's mom and dad!! TOO GOOD!!!).
    Anyways, back to Sweetie Belle. Besides the fact that she doesn't really need to learn a lesson, what else do I admire about her? Well for one, this episode easily sealed the deal that Sweetie Belle is hands down the cutest member of the CMC. Between her squeaks, quirky and adorable mannerisms, and just... well, everything about her, there is quite literally NOTHING that is not cute about Sweetie Belle. She is quite simply cute incarnate; perhaps her sensei was Fluttershy?

    Aside from that, she's funny as usual, the fact that she's the first CMC besides Apple Bloom to be the focus of an episode is pretty noteworthy, and it's nice getting to learn more about her here and see her fleshed out into more of a 3-dimensional character rather than remain a supporting member to Apple Bloom's obvious leadership of the CMC. Sweetie Belle gets a thumbs up from me for knocking it out of the park with a D'AAAWtastic debut starring role!

     
    Next, we'll cover Sweetie Belle's costar, Rarity. Now, let me start by saying that I have a love-hate relationship with Rarity's starring roles in Season 2. Don't get me wrong, she's the same ol' hilarious, over-the-top, fashionista and drama queen we'd all come to know and love in Season 1, and plenty of times she displays the traits we'd grown to love her for whenever she shows up in a starring role. The difference is that, whereas in Season 1 she won us over whenever she was in a starring role as a generous pony who was competent, kind, and had her heart in the right place, in Season 2 whenever she's in a starring role, well... she's kind of a jerk at times! I'll have more to say about that in my review of "Sweet and Elite", but it's really jarring here just how bad she is for so much of the episode at being a good sister! Rarity's the only one here who really needs to learn a lesson, and man oh man does it take forever for it to get through to her!!! She has a terribly difficult time accepting that she needs to compromise in how she spends her time with Sweetie Belle (after of course she finally figures out that she should spend time with her), and it's just plain frustrating seeing as how she was so likable in Season 1!!! I guess it's not entirely unrealistic seeing as there's quite the age gap between her and Sweetie Belle and they might not be the closest of sisters, seeing as she seems to have moved out of the house some time ago, but still, I expected better out of Rarity than this. The only redeeming factor for her is that she learns her lesson real well and ultimately redeems herself pretty much entirely in that last 5 minute segment at the Sisterhooves Social, but still, for the first 3/4 of the episode Rarity often comes across as uncharacteristically insensitive.
     





    YOU'VE BEEN AN OOC JERK, THAT'S WHAT!!!


     
    Alright, now that the two obvious costars of the show are out of the way, let's cover the third star of this episode who probably shines the most out of any of them: APPLEJACK!!!!!!!!!
     




    That's right sugarcubes, ah'm the star!


     
    OK, AJ may not be the star of this episode per se, BUT as I said, she shines more than really anypony else in this episode, especially when you contrast her to Rarity. In the course of this episode, she (1) consoles Sweetie Belle in the middle of her chores and spending time with her own little sister when the filly is distraught over Rarity's ignoring her to the point that Sweetie Belle wants to adopt AJ as her new big sister (which is hilarious ), (2) teaches Rarity the lesson of the episode about how, as Sweetie Belle's big sister, she has to understand that being a good sibling is a give-and-take relationship (with an apple pie metaphor appropriately enough, also hilarious ), and (3) helps hatch and execute a plan with Rarity to win back Sweetie Belle's affection for her friend (and apparently those two have lungs of steel because they BOTH were in that mudhole for ages!!! ). IN ADDITION to all of these positive traits, Applejack also proves herself to be an extraordinarily good sister to Apple Bloom; now, this probably can largely be attributed to the different circumstances surrounding her own relationship with her sister and Sweetie Belle and Rarity's. Given that we now know that it is pretty much unspoken canon that AJ's parents are dead, we can assume that AJ has functioned for a long time as a parental figure for Apple Bloom alongside Big Mac and Granny Smith, and an important one at that as she's the closest of the Apples in age to AB in their immediate family. This is probably the biggest reason that AJ is so gosh darn mature in the episode, but it doesn't change the fact that she's leaps and bounds ahead of Rarity at the start of this episode and plays probably the biggest role in teaching her good fashionista friend a valuable lesson. Not much more else to say other than Applejack absolutely rocks and proves herself to be probably the best sister on the show and one of the most mature ponies to boot in this here episode.
     
    Well, that about does it for this review. Aside from the problems I have with how long it takes Rarity to learn her lesson, this is a fantastic and fun episode and did make some important, notable strides for MLP as I mentioned earlier, largely in just how the entire episode was executed. It's a fun one to rewatch and I highly recommend it to any brony and pegasister out there!
     




    "How are we apple pie again?"


     

    "I have no idea Sweetie, blame Applejack, after all, she's the one who came up with the simile."


  5. Batbrony
    "Luna Eclipsed" was... a welcome breath of fresh air. Not that the first three episodes of Season 2 were bad by any means, no no, I consider them to be among MLP's finest episodes, same with this one. But "Luna Eclipsed" was really unlike any episode MLP had ever had before. We had (1) a new pony holiday, the first we'd really seen since "Winter Wrap Up" way back in Season 1 (and no, I'm not counting the Grand Galloping Gala, that's a formal state event, not a holiday), (2) an episode taking place entirely at night, (3) some spectacular animations for the Mane 6, CMC, and pretty much every resident of Ponyville, dressed up in their awesome Nightmare Night costumes, and finally, most importantly of all (4) a princess-centered episode. But this was not just any princess, no no, this was BEST PRINCESS EVER, THAT'S RIGHT, PRINCESS LUNA MOTHERBUCKERS!!! Well... OK, maybe most bronies didn't consider her best princess before this episode, but that all swiftly changed after this little beauty aired! So, let's dive into the awesomeness that is "Luna Eclipsed".
     
    First, let's start with the awesomeness that is Nightmare Night. This fun little obviously-Halloween-inspired pony holiday has its own backstory and everything, far more than I can say about Halloween (and yes, I know that there's a lot of history to it with All Hallow's Eve and such, but seriously, the ponies here knew FAR MORE about their little Nightmare Night than pretty much everyone these days knows about Halloween's origins, am I right? Of course I am). So apparently, this night is dedicated to collecting candy and distributing it at the BUCKING TERRIFYING NIGHTMARE MOON STATUE (which I swear changed faces a couple times during my last viewing) so that Nightmare Moon won't gobble the little fillies and colts up. Because apparently Princess Celestia was so torn up after banishing her sister to the moon at some point during Luna's 1000 year exile that she decided the best way to cheer herself up was by creating a holiday devoted to getting terrified at the thought of being brutally devoured by her fallen sister (while also lining the pockets of the candy companies of course!). Ah well, guess that's just Trollestia for ya!!!
     
    The thing that really sells me, however, on Nightmare Night isn't just that it's a cool holiday; it's that the ponies costumes are FREAKIN' AWESOME!!! Seriously, how many times have you seen a kids show do a Halloween episode and the costumes ended up being really lazily drawn and half-@$$ed? Here, though, the costumes look simply phenomenal!!! Let's take a look at some of the wonderful costumes worn by the residents of Ponyville:
     
     




     

    "Nice costume creepy grandpa/weirdo clown/country music singer!" said the dragon dressed as a dragon. Hmmm... I think this scene needs more dragon.


     
     




     

    This is my favoritest favorite favoritey night of the yea- *ack* OH BUCK, TOO MUCH SUGAR, TOO MUCH SUGAR!!!


     
     




     

    Are you sure Pinkie Pie counts as "adult supervision"? Cause I feel like there were more of us earlier. And Pip nearly drowned in the bobbing for apples just now... for the third time tonight.


     
     




     

    Dayum, even in costume the ladies can't get enough of Macintosh! That or this is just the cart for "inebriated" ponies.


     
     




     

    I spent all night working on my costume!!! You like it?


     
     




     

    BEST... COSTUME... EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


     
     
    See what I mean? These are some well-detailed costumes!!! It's a unique look for the entire town, they really bring all of Ponyville to life for the Nightmare Night festivities, and it's just a blast seeing all of these characters we'd spent an entire season growing familiar with in such outlandish garb (plus it's pretty fun trying to recognize who's who; a free muffin to whoever can identify Lyra in this episode!). So, with such a fun holiday, what could possibly go wrong?
     
    Well... there is one teensy, tiny little problem, namely... the fact that Nightmare Moon is no more. Yes, having been cleansed in the Season 1 opener by the Mane 6 and the Elements of Harmony, it seems that Princess Luna is not very amused by the holiday that has developed in the 1000 years since her exile, revolving around her evil persona. And so she decides to travel to Ponyville to win over her citizens' love and affection! Now, bronies went into this episode expecting to see this...
     
     




     
     

    What we got instead was... DAYUM!!!


     
     




     
     
    HOLY BUCK, somepony went through a redesign!!! Yes, it seems that the animators at Studio B decided in between seasons to totally revamp Princess Luna's design (which actually has fit into the show's canon just fine even, as there are plenty of rational explanations for her change in appearance), and boy oh boy did they knock it out of the park! Don't get me wrong, Luna's Season 1 design was nice and all, but here she just looks so much more regal and, well, like Celestia's sister! Her ethereal mane, dark, navy blue complexion, and that AMAZING cutie mark (definitely one of my all-time favorite cutie marks in general) all combine into one awesome design, and as far as character design goes, Luna is to this day my favorite princess out of the four we now have seen on the show! But enough about how awesome she looks, what else makes Luna an awesome addition to the show?
     
    Well, honestly, in many ways this episode hearkens back to the very first episode of MLP. There are A LOT of parallels between Princess Luna and Twilight Sparkle of all things, at least, in that particular episode. Luna, like Twilight, comes to Ponyville with really no friends (which is really sad when you think about it considering she's probably been cleansed for over a year now; WAY TO BE A GOOD SISTER CELESTIA!!!), no idea how to make any friends (just like Twilight), and on top of it all, she also has a 1000 year gap in her understanding of modern day cultural and social norms (a disadvantage that Twilight NEVER had), and it hasn't translated well in her attempts to interact with ponies. She's loud and intimidating, and refers to herself in the first person plural (all compliments of the Royal Canterlot Voice), behaves in a very stiff, regal manner around her subjects despite the fact that she only has good intentions and just wants to befriend them, and, when you get down to it, just really doesn't have any clue where to begin as far as befriending her subjects goes (again, Celestia had an entire year to make some headway on this. I know she's busy with state affairs and all, but still, she couldn't have taken one afternoon even to explain to Luna that many things have changed in 1000 years? Man, that's a douche move Celestia!!!).
     
    Enter Twilight Sparkle; unlike most of the frightened residents of Ponyville, Twilight's just excited to see Princess Luna visiting and wants to help her fit in! This is actually a really great Twilight episode in that from the very get-go Twilight knows what the right thing to do is, sets about doing it, and keeps doing it throughout the whole of the episode, even if her various attempts often fail. She's got the right idea and her intentions are good; she just wants to help someone else who knows as little about friendship as she herself did when she moved to Ponyville discover the magic of friendship, and to that I say, good on you Twilight, major props!
     
    Anyways, back to Luna. All of her outdated mannerisms combine to ultimately give us... an extraordinarily adorkable character!!! She's basically Twilight Sparkle from episode 1 of Season 1 as far as awkwardness and adorkableness goes, only she has 1000 year old mannerisms to boot! That's Tabitha St. Germain voicing her (which is why Rarity actually does not make an appearance), and she knocks the awkward characterization out of the park!!! This is what really makes Princess Luna, for me, best princess; unlike Celestia, who's wise, benevolent, kind to all, and practically all-knowing, Princess Luna is... growing as a character. To this day, even though it hasn't been nearly as prominent since this episode, you know that she is still adjusting to a world 1000 years newer from the one she last knew. She's learning new things all the time, making new friends, and always learning new ways to be a better pony, even if it isn't prominently featured. Neither she nor Celestia is flawless, but with Luna it's far more apparent; she's had a tragic backstory, did some awful things, and now she's trying to move on from her mistakes and make up for them, all while trying to rule a nation alongside her sister. That, for me, makes for a well-rounded, three dimensional character, and I think that Princess Luna will always easily be Best Princess for this guy!
     
    Alright, well, beyond Princess Luna and Nightmare Night, what else makes this episode work so well. Well for starters, it's very funny! Princess Luna, Chicken Pie and her group of trick-or-treating fillies, Fluttershy in her hilariously adorable scene; they all make for a laugh-riot episode that, while obviously not quite as funny as "Lesson Zero", still gave us some phenomenal one-liners, particularly from Pinkie's randomness and Luna's seemingly never-ending supply of hilarious one-liners ("Haha!! The fun has been DOUBLED!!!" "Very well then... be that way! We won't even bother with the traditional royal farewell!!!" "But this is the traditional Royal Canterlot voice! It is tradition to speak using the royal 'we', and to use THIS MUCH VOLUME WHEN ADDRESSING OUR SUBJECTS!!!" "Tis a lie!! Thy backside is whole and ungobbled thou ungrateful whelp!!!"). In addition, it's an adorable episode! Some of the ponies look just plain adorable in their costumes, Fluttershy's cute as usual in her one scene, and, as I said earlier, Princess Luna is absolutely adorkable in every sense of the word! As I probably indicated already in my praise of the costumes and look of Ponyville, the animation is spot on; it's one of the few episodes that takes place entirely at night (in fact, the first if I'm not mistaken), and has its own unique look and flavor that makes it never get old to rewatch. Finally, the theme of Twilight discovering somepony who has just as much, if not more, trouble making friends than she herself did when she first moved to Ponyville is really delightful and executed real nicely, and it's just wonderful seeing our main protagonist spreading the magic of friendship to other ponies beyond her own group of beloved friends, utilizing the lessons she's learned since coming to Ponyville.
     
    In fact, if there was any one complaint I can actually make about this episode, it would be that Rainbow Dash is kind of a douche in this episode! Don't get me wrong, she starts out harmless enough just pulling a few pranks, but then she almost screws things up for Princess Luna right as she's trying to patch things up between her and Ponyville all for a quick laugh!!! That's just... MEAN!!! Don't get me wrong, I'm not too bothered by it, but still, that's just pretty jerky, petty behavior on RD's part. Other than that, I have absolutely no complaints about this episode. It's fun, hilarious, cute, and has a great lesson; Princess Luna couldn't have possibly asked for a better return to the show and I hope we get to see more and more of her in Season 4! If I could describe how I feel about this episode in one word, it'd be... HUZZAH!!!
  6. Batbrony
    WOOHOO, NEW SEASON!!! OK, not really seeing as it is already over two years old, but still, I'm starting to review a fresh, new season and it's an exciting occasion, especially considering that it's Season 2! To start my Season 2 reviews off, I'll begin by saying that personally, I hold Season 2 to be the best complete season of MLP thus far. That's somewhat unfair to Season 3 seeing as it was only half as long as the previous two, but to that I can only say tough break Season 3, that's the name of the children's television distribution game. Don't get me wrong, I loved Season 3 for what it is and it is superior to the other two seasons in plenty of ways, but the truth of the matter is that when you get down to it there is simply no way that a season half as long as the previous two can in any way, shape, or form be, overall, better than the other two. Anyways, with that little disclosure out of the way, let's get down to the Season 2 opener itself, "The Return of Harmony: Part 1 and Part 2".
     
    I'm not going to go too much into detail on the story or comedy bits, mostly because there's simply too many notable things in both areas to count in this opener. I will cover the setup however to start things off. After a fun-filled Season 1, things seem to be going great in Equestria, until whacky, wild things start occurring all over Ponyville! Clouds run amok and are made of cotton candy and rain chocolate milk, corn is spontaneously popping into popcorn all on its own, and animals are sprouting horse legs! After reeling in some of the local chaos, the Mane 6 are summoned to Canterlot by Princess Celestia herself, where she explains who is behind the recent discord. In a word, it's none other than, well... DISCORD!!! Yes, Discord, a malevolent spirit of chaos who Celestia explains once ruled all of Equestria with a chaotic fist, plunging the land into eternal chaos until the alicorn sisters Celestia and Luna discovered the Elements of Harmony and, utilizing their power, turned him into stone! Now, with the Royal Sister's connection to the Elements broken, and thanks to some rowdy young fillies in the vicinity of the encased Discord (way to go CMC!!! ), Discord has escaped and is on the loose, intent on wreaking havoc and chaos across the land unless the Mane 6 can stop him! After discovering that the lord of chaos has stolen the Elements, the Mane 6 set off to recover them and banish Discord back from whence he came!
     
    So, with that out of the way, let's start with the villain himself; the all powerful, conniving, deceptive, evil lord of chaos, disharmony, and all things discord is...
     
     




     
     
    ...a completely carefree, utter goofball! This is Discord, the draconequus lord of chaos and villain of the Season 2 opener (voiced by none other than John De Lancie himself, who's character Q from "Star Trek: The Next Generation" actually inspired Lauren Faust to write the character Discord). And, if I'm being completely honest, this dude, like for so many other bronies and pegasisters out there, is by far my favorite villain of the entire show thus far. On the surface, he's hardly the most threatening villain the show's ever seen: I mean, Nightmare Moon, Chrysalis, Sombra, they were all far more upfront about their evil intentions and wicked ways. But Discord? This dude just wants to have fun and spread the joy of cutting loose and sharing a little chaos with as many ponies as possible! Right?
     
    Well, actually, no. When you get down to it the thing that makes Discord such a frightening villain is really just how powerful he is, and no, he's not like a child playing with fire in that he doesn't realize how dangerous it is, no no, he's fully aware of just how powerful he is! But the thing you've got to understand about Discord is that the guy has style; for him, there's a very specific way one should screw with everypony. He doesn't just use his power like a blunt tool, no no, this guy, this sneaky bastard is like an artist when it comes to wielding his chaotic powers. When you think about it, he could've at any time with a snap of his fingers sent the Mane 6 anywhere he wanted, anywhere at all, and all of Equestria would've been screwed! I mean, he took away their wings and horns for crying out loud, so I'm sure he could've easily done that!!! Instead, he launched a complex scheme to utterly crush the spirits of each and every one of the Mane 6 and destroy their very will to defeat him (even if he had to get a little blunt at times when things didn't go his way *cough cough* Fluttershy *cough cough*). Basically, he turned their world, the friendships that they'd built over the entire course of the first season, entirely upside down in less than a day!!! I don't know about you, but to me, that's bucking scary powerful, I mean, especially considering he wasn't even trying that hard or using his powers to their full extent!!! The other thing that puts him ahead of these other villains is that, whereas most of them have operated either in the shadows or indirectly to get what they want without being discovered, Discord, while certainly relying off of trickery and cunning, never once makes it a secret that he's trying to screw with the Mane 6! He's constantly showing up in front of all of them to "discord" them, and in fact, I think the subtlest he ever got was with Applejack and Twilight herself. This guy knows just how powerful he is, but he's so carefree and also devoted to having as much fun as possible that he refuses to just flatout wield his power to its full extent, and rather do his very best to get as much enjoyment out of his victims' pain and suffering as possible. That's just plain evil, it's scary, it usually has hilarious results (don't look at me like that, you all know you laughed at Flutterb*tch and RarityxTom the Rock as much as I did ), and it's still bucking effective, which just goes to show how intelligent a villain Discord is, which, combined with his ridiculous level of power, makes him one bucking tough villain!
     
    On top of that, there's other things that make him a great villain. Discord gives new meaning to the phrase "he just don't give a buck"; the guy's entire goal in life is to get as much enjoyment and laughter as possible out of doing his best to spread as much chaos and anarchy as he can, even if it causes suffering for others. While obviously this qualifies him as quite evil (but not beyond reform as we see later in Season 3), it also means that he's hands down the funniest villain the show's had yet. The only other villain that can really even compare is Nightmare Moon, and that's just because she's so over-the-top that it's hilariously cheesy. Discord tries to and is easily just a funny, funny being every second of his existence; there's only a few moments where he drops his usually cheery, carefree personality and displays a more malevolent, threatening side, but even then you know that this guy's just mad because his fun's being interfered with and he just can't wait to get back to having disharmonious fun! His physical character design is great as well, a very unique and, I'd go so far as to say, inspired original design, and definitely the most memorable of any of the villains the show's had so far (and that's saying something considering they've all looked great!.
     
    So, confronted with such a scary-powerful villain, just how do the girls stop him? Well, if I'm being honest, Discord's personality is as much to blame for his downfall as it is for why he's such a great villain. The guy's biggest weakness? Hubris. Discord is way too prideful and certain of his own success for his own good, and it bites in the flank in the end when he allows the girls to take another shot at him, rather than just scatter them to the four corners of the earth as I'm sure he very well could. I'm not complaining about that, as he'd probably be overpowered if he was far more careful, and really it's a key part of his personality that goes into making Discord such a great character. All in all, I can say with absolute certainty that for me, Discord is easily the best villain the show's had thus far, and it's really for only that reason and the phenomenal challenge he gives the girls that I'm actually disappointed to some extent that he was reformed in Season 3, even though I loved how that was handled as well. Hats off to the writers on creating a truly memorable, unique, original villain for MLP near and dear to us all!
     
     




     

    You might as well give up already; no matter how hard the rest of you try, you'll always just be fighting for second place.


     
     
    Well, that's the villain out of the way, so let's get to the story. Again, I'm just going to talk about it in general since there's simply too many things here that make this two-parter perfect. I think the biggest factor that really makes this episode truly great is that it picks up perfectly from where Season 1 left off. The second this season starts, you know these friends have spent an entire season being friends, and that's perfectly believable throughout the episode. This shows that there is an overall story progression to this show, along with a few other factors. The character of Discord and his own past with Celestia and Luna was probably the biggest addition to canon Equestrian history we'd gotten since the Season 1 opener with Nightmare Moon, and set the tone for Season 2, which would contain far more world building than Season 1 ever did. Finally, Celestia's returning all of Twilight's letters to her towards the end of Part 2 was a delightful throwback to Season 1 that further reinforced the idea that we'd only gotten to this point in the show because of Season 1, that there is indeed an ongoing story to this show with a beginning, a middle, and, eventually, an end.
     
    The theme of the story is very notable as well; when you get down to it, it's all about the girls reaffirming everything they've learned about friendship over the course of Season 1 against the very anti-thesis to friendship. Friendship in MLP blossoms out of harmony; Discord is the lord of disharmony! So really, when you think about it, Discord's disharmony is to friendship what Darkseid's Anti-Life Equation is to life; the very anti-thesis of all things harmonious, including friendship. And that's really what he literally transforms the Mane 6 into, their very anti-theses, the exact opposites of themselves. The fact that he can do that just goes to show how ridiculously powerful he is, but their overcoming it goes to show how even more powerful the Mane 6's friendship is at that point in the show. Again, as I said with the story, this type of theme is perfect to pick up where Season 1 left off, as it reinforces that friendship remains the central theme of the show despite the fact that the world and its history/mythos is expanding rapidly.
     
    Finally, I can't talk about the episode's story without talking about the comedy. It feels unfair to say that this is the funniest episode in the entire show, mostly because it's a two-parter, so I won't go that far, but it is by far the funniest season opener/finale that the show's had thus far. Throughout both episodes the laughs just keep coming and coming and coming nonstop, whether from the normal Mane 6, Discord and his gags, the discorded Mane 6, or even some of the amazing pop culture references (there aren't too many, but there are some notable ones, especially "chocolate rain" and the amazing Star Wars reference at the end of the episode!!!). Heck, there's so many laughs and plot points to throw into the episode that, unlike any of the other season openers or finales, they didn't even have time left to throw in a song! Usually I'd complain, but in this case I'll make an exception because frankly the episode's too funny to care that there is no new songs; besides, Daniel Ingram delivered plenty enough later in Season 2 that it didn't matter in this case. Point is, if you're ever looking for a good laugh, pick any five minutes from these two episodes and I have no doubt you'll find something that gets at least a chuckle out of you.
     
     




     

    OMG gaiz, like, lolz, we are seriously so funny it's unbelievable!!!


     
     
    Just got a couple more things to say before I wrap this review up. The animation in this opener was probably the finest we'd seen in the show yet, and really took it to places we'd never seen before. Of particular note to me is the stain glass scene at the beginning of Part 1; the animation of Discord in the stain glass is a really very lovely and impressive animation, and it showed that Studio B's animators were continuing to refine their craft (hats off to Sibsy and the crew ) and willing to try new and exciting things! Discord's normal design was impressive as well, especially his very flexible, fluid movements, no small feat I'm sure.
     
    Overall, "The Return of Harmony: Part 1 and Part 2" is the perfect season opener to me. Again, I hesitate to say it's the best episode of the entire show simply because it's a two-parter, but it is in my book most definitely the best season opener/finale the show's had thus far. Everything is simply executed perfectly, and Season 2 could not have gotten off to a better start than it did with this bang of an opener. I think it's safe to say that this episode ranks high in the hearts and minds of most bronies, probably making the Top Ten lists of most, and as for me, well, I can honestly say that I never get tired of watching this opener again and again and again.
     
     




     

    You better be getting my good side, because mark my words, I WILL BE BACK!!! After all, the fan response has been overwhelmingly positive. You simply can't deny the fans a fan-favorite, right writers? So be good little boys and girls and bring me back to the show. I don't care if you even have me reformed by that annoying butter pony, just bring me back pronto! Please and thank you!!! I certainly don't want to spend the rest of my days stoned; after all, that would make for one heck of a case of the munchies! HA!!! Still got it!!!


  7. Batbrony
    The last episode of Season 1, "The Best Night Ever" is undoubtedly one of the most important episodes in MLP: FiM history! Whether or not the show would leave viewers wanting more after the end of Season 1 very much hinged on how well this first season finale did, and it most certainly did not disappoint in every single way imaginable. So, let's look at what makes "The Best Night Ever"... well, the best night ever.
     
    So first off, the animation was probably the best we'd seen in the series thus far. This episode has dozens, if not hundreds of ponies (and despite the fact that they reuse a number of character models it's still undeniably impressive), introduces about five new supporting characters (Spitfire and Soarin in their first (and the latter's only) talking role, Prince Blueblood, Donut Joe, and Mr. Greenhooves), and has some amazing sights throughout! This is the first episode where we get extensive action in Canterlot itself, and the royal city and castle look simply spectacular (bonus points for having the first Canterlot episode take place at night, definitely unique introducing a location in a nighttime episode). Overall, this episode once and for all confirmed that not only did Studio B's animators passionately care about improving their artwork as best they could and pushing themselves to the limit, but that Flash animation really can look gorgeous and is not just a cheap way to skimp on animation effort and costs.
     
     
     





    Yes, we know, we all do indeed look FABULOUS!!!


     
     
    Second, the music as usual is great, and this was actually one of only two times in Season 1 that all of the Mane 6 sing together in an ensemble, in the lovely number "At the Gala". While I prefer "Winter Wrap Up's" catchy tune to "At the Gala", there's no denying that this song was incredibly important to MLP: FiM, namely in that it showed that not only was Daniel Ingram willing to go outside the box for children's music and put together numbers that you would never expect to find on a children's show (the song has a 20-person choir along with solo parts for each one of the Mane 6, and is a sound alike for Stephen Sondheim's "Ever After" from the musical "Into The Woods". DAYUM!!! ), but that viewers young and old could be sold this variety in music, because frankly, everyone and their cousin absolutely loved this song when it debuted!!! Pinkie's "Pony Pokey" song is also tons of fun, but musically "At the Gala" has proven to be one of the most important contributions to MLP: FiM canon, and is definitely one of my personal favorite songs in the entire show!
     
     
     





    Remember, the only way to enter a formal state event is while performing a spontaneous, perfectly orchestrated musical-number along with friends and total strangers. EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT!!!


     
     
    Third, the humor as usual is spot on. It certainly varies from pony to pony; while some have funnier experiences than others, they all at some point have their own moments and are hilarious in their own ways. For me, Fluttershy especially steals the spotlight; her descent into a raging inferno of love for all woodland critters that simply will not be denied I'm sure caught a lot of viewers off guard and is a hilarious curve ball, much like Pinkie Pie's similar descent into insanity in the previous episode. Other notable comedic bits include Rarity's terrible night with Canterlot's resident Prince of Douchery himself, the much loathed Prince Blueblood, and Pinkie Pie's desperate attempts to get her kind of party going at the Grand Galloping Gala!
     
    Finally, the story and theme are the perfect cap to the first season in every way. While this finale has probably less in the way of momentous events than any of the other season openers or finales in any season of MLP, that's part of what makes it so good and important. The reason that the Season 1 opener needed to be so momentous was because it established that there could potentially be a larger mythology and universe to this pony world. The reason that the Season 2 and Season 3 openers and finales have been so momentous is because they could be, that door was opened and very much viable to the makers of the show. But the Season 1 finale needed to achieve something that the others haven't had to achieve. It needed to show that viewers could simply be enraptured by MLP: FiM just by stories about friendship alone. It didn't need big action, a big villain, or some huge revelation or change to be an amazing episode. All it is is the payoff that this whole season was building up to; a night that each one of the Mane 6 had been looking forward to for most of the season (since Episode 3 actually), but turned out far differently than any of them expected. Just as the episode itself didn't need to be the most grandiose season finale ever, the Mane 6 themselves learn that they didn't need the night to go exactly as they expected for it to be the best night ever. All they needed in the end was each other's company, which they'd come to love and appreciate so much as Season 1 progressed (though to be honest Twilight technically gets what she wanted all along since Princess Celestia hangs out with all of them at the end... greedy main characters always get everything they want). In the end, all that the episode really does is reaffirm just how important the Mane 6's friendships are to each and every one of them, and ultimately that's all it needs to do; audiences worldwide loved it and the finale's success secured the future of MLP through another season which would build off of the first season's success and treat us to even bigger and better episodes, stories, characters, music, and animation!
     
    It is for these reasons that, for me, "The Best Night Ever" is not only one of the best episodes in all of MLP: FiM, but also the greatest episode of Season 1! To this day it has its own unique place in MLP: FiM canon, and is definitely an episode worthy of many, many rewatches! This brings to a close my Season 1 episode reviews; I hope those of you who've taken the time to read them have found them helpful and insightful in some small way. Season 2, here I come!!!
  8. Batbrony
    As I said in the last two reviews, there are three of the last four episodes in Season 1 that I consider to be among the show's finest; "Party of One" is MOST DEFINITELY one of them! Oh wow, where to even begin on this episode. I guess let's start with the obvious: Pinkie Pie.
     
    Of Pinkie Pie's episodes, I would definitely say with the utmost confidence that this is hands down easily her funniest episode to date! Of the Season 1 episodes, it's a little trickier if this is the funniest; for me, I really can't pick between this episode and "A Dog and Pony Show". They're both simply too funny!!! That said, let's get down to Pinkie Pie and all things Pinkie Pie that make this episode the wild ride down the rabbit hole that it is. AND AWAYYYYYY WE GO!!!
     
     
     




     
     
    This episode from start to finish is simply one big, delicious helping of Pinkie Pie! Randomness, hilarity, and just plain insanity galore abound in this episode every second. First, we get a lovely dose of Pinkie Pie doing what she does best of course: throwing a party, namely for Gummy (in probably his funniest role in the series to date as well, impressive considering he mostly just stares blankly at the screen ). It's a great opening scene; we get to see Pinkie at her best doing what she does best, having fun with her friends, and still being whacky, random, and just plain Pinkie. And then the crazy train starts pulling out of the station...
     
     
     




     
     
    So Pinkie of course gets the not-so-good-idea that she should hold a "after-birthday party" for Gummy. When her friends start mysteriously avoiding her and coming up with excuses as to why they can't be there (a very funny sequence of events like most in this episode, especially Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy's increasingly insane excuse!), Pinkie comes to the conclusion that her friends are avoiding her (which is right, but for the wrong reasons). Increasingly erratic, Pinkie confronts Spike and, in a misunderstanding, he "confirms" her fears that her friends don't want to be her friends anymore.
     
     
     





    Really though, wouldn't you have done the same as Spike if she was making THAT face at you?


     
     
    That's when things get really scary. We are henceforth introduced to the insane entity that is simply known as... Pinkamena, confirming once and for all that Pinkie truly is insane.
     
     
     





    And thus, "Cupcakes" and a million more grimdark fics were launched! To this day, the debauchery is still being produced by peculiar, possibly unstable individuals worldwide with sick senses of humor!!!


     
    After a sequence that can only be described as insane, hilarious, and all-kinds-of-disturbing all at once, Rainbow Dash finally shows up, and, well, I think we all know where this is going...
     
     
     

    http://ponyfac.es/sites/pony/faces/a922a151.png

     
    NO NOT THERE!!! Get your heads out of the gutter. No, after experiencing the madness that is Pinkamena, RD finally manages to drag her (quite literally) to Sweet Apple Acres, where she is given... A SURPRISE PARTY!!! Yes, it turns out that good ol' Pinkie Pie has just forgotten that her birthday was that very day (which means that she must've gotten Gummy as a birthday present if his birthday is the day before hers now that I think about it), and once she realizes that her friends have simply been doing their best to throw her the best surprise party they could, she's back to her old Pinkie self and all is right with the world.
     
    Now, hilarious as this episode is (and I really can't go over every point because there's simply too many great comedy bits to cover them all), after viewing it this time, I came to the realization that this is not only Pinkie's funniest episode, but also probably her best episode in general. When you think about it, everything spirals out of control for a very big reason: Pinkie displays an extraordinary amount of anxiety and insecurity throughout the episode. This shows from the very beginning; the whole reason she wants to throw an after-birthday party for Gummy in the first place is all because she wants an excuse to bring all her friends together again. As events get more and more out of hand, it becomes apparent that Pinkie Pie, beneath the bubbly exterior, is, at least in a tiny corner of her subconscious, extremely insecure to the point that she believes that the only thing she really contributes to the group is great parties and that that's the only reason her friends hang out with her. Of course, this is rubbish, but that just goes to show how terrible Pinkie's insecurity really is, even if it barely ever surfaces. I mean, that kind of anxiety doesn't just come out of nowhere; clearly Pinkie treats being the bestest, bestest friend in the world for as many ponies as she can be like a full time job, HER full time job, and that seems to be quite stressful to her at times. She obviously has some sort of deep-seated fear of losing her friends, of things going back to the way they were before she got her cutie mark. And don't think I'm just grasping at straws here, we've seen signs of this since then in other episodes, like "Too Many Pinkie Pies". So, that said, I have to say that I think this episode is a very revealing episode for Pinkie Pie, and goes to show that she's far more than a perpetually chipper, random, whacky character always ready to put a smile on somepony's face. She's very well-rounded like the rest of the Mane 6 and, if anything, far more complex than some of them in that her fears and anxieties barely if ever surface even though they're quite clearly there and, if pushed far enough, can even drive her to the brink of real insanity as displayed quite clearly in this episode.
     
    OK, well, with Pinkie covered there isn't too much else to look at. The rest of the Mane 6 are really great in this episode; they make a really kindhearted effort to give their favorite party-planner a fantastic surprise birthday party of her own (really, really sweet gesture, I mean, seriously sweet), they all provide plenty of laughs (especially Applejack; I swear, every time she tries to cover up what's going on around Pinkie it's simply hysterical and I just lose it!!!), and in the end they show just what great friends they all are by this point in the show. The comedy's gold, the writing's gold, the lesson is gold; what more can I possibly say in praise to an episode as good as this? "Party of One", you're among the finest MLP:FiM has to offer, and I can't think of a better episode to serve as the penultimate episode to Season 1 than this one!
     
     

    http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2011/173/e/2/pinkie_pie_and_gummy_by_moongazeponies-d3jpf3i.png

  9. Batbrony
    Ya know how in my last review I said that I consider three of the last four episodes of Season 1 to be among the show's finest? Well... this is the episode that's not. If I'm being completely honest, it's one of my least favorite episodes in the whole show; not that I hate it or anything, but, it simply just doesn't really do anything for me. But, let's start with the positives first.
     
    The best thing that I can say about this episode is that it's a great Spike episode, at least, in the sense that Spike's incredibly entertaining once again in the limelight. While I certainly think that "A Dog and Pony Show" portrayed the guy in a far more flattering light, Spike's characterization and mannerisms still seem on in this episode. I mean, he's a baby dragon, so a lot of his not-so-well-thought-out actions in this episode can simply be attributed to his age. Also, it's nice seeing just how much he does for Twilight being the focus of an episode. Finally, the little dude's just plain funny, no denying that, and he has some really funny scenes in this episode, especially the scene where he tries to frame Owlowiscious for a "mouse's" death.
     
    The best scene in this whole episode for me is probably the opening five minutes when Twilight, Spike, and the rest of the Mane 6 and CMC gather to watch the meteor shower. It's a nice little scene that highlights just how far all these friends had come in the first season of MLP in their friendships without saying too much about it, and I wish we had scenes of Mane 6 get-together's like that more often in the show.
     
     





    This scene... I LOVE this scene!!!


     
     
    Well, that's the positives, but now it's time for the negatives. So what's the biggest problem I have with this episode? Namely two: (1) Owlowiscious, and (2) Twilight. First, let's cover Owlowiscious; I do not hate this character, no no, that's not right. If I hated him, I think I'd actually care about him more than I do, because at least he'd be evoking some sort of strong passion out of me, like Angel Bunny does on occasion. All of the other pets in fact have something going for them: Winona's fun and lovable, Tank's just plain awesome, Opalescence has her rocking attitude, Angel Bunny's a hateful bastard as much as he is Fluttershy's faithful companion, and Gummy's just... well, Gummy, but Owlowiscious? There is literally nothing that makes me particularly care for this bird in any sense of the word! He has ONE joke (which they hammer over the head any time he's a main or supporting character, quite lazy writing if you ask me), and just doesn't really do anything particularly noteworthy. Like I said, that's not to say I hate him, but... buck me, I can't say I care for him! He's just kinda there, and I could care less, and to this day there is probably no character in the show that I care less about than Owlowiscious. He's unnecessary in a bad way.
     
     





    DO SOMETHING!!!!!!!!!


     
     
    Now, as for Twilight, I would've said she was my #1 problem with this episode, if not for one thing: she actually recognizes what she does wrong in the episode. So what does she do? She simply assumes that Spike, a baby dragon who doesn't know any better and looks up to Twilight as a mother/sister figure, is not going to have any problems at all with Owlowiscious. That's incredibly insensitive! The worst part is when Rarity of all things gives that bucking bird the same exact gemstone bedazzled bowtie after knowing him for less than a day which it took Spike 24 episodes to get!!! HOW COULD TWILIGHT NOT THINK THAT SPIKE WOULDN'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THIS?!?! In addition, there are plenty of scenes that seem to justify Spike's worry that Owlowiscious is trying to replace him, particularly when Owlowiscious finishes tasks that Twilight had specifically assigned to Spike! The only saving grace for Twilight is that she realizes her mistake by the end of the episode and admits as much to Spike, in a rather heartwarming scene; the only problem is, again, she should've fully explained why Owlowiscious was around from the very beginning instead of assuming Spike would just be hunky-dory with having Owlowiscious around.
     
     
    So yeah, in conclusion, I don't particularly care for this episode. I don't hate most things about it except really for the way that the moral lesson is reached, but I don't care for it either. It ranks down there with episodes like "MMMystery on the Friendship Express" which I don't really care for, although again, at least that episode has a harmless enough of a lesson. The only good thing I can even say about Owlowiscious is that he at least makes it absolutely clear that Spike is not nor ever will be Twilight's pet, but beyond that... I got nothing good to say about that bird! I don't care for the lesson, I don't care about the new character, and I certainly don't care about the episode as a whole.
     
     





    One of these things is completely unnecessary to the show. Can you figure out what it is?


  10. Batbrony
    "The Cutie Mark Chronicles" is honestly a fantastic episode! I consider three of the last four episodes of Season 1 to be among some of the finest in the series' entire history, and "Cutie Mark Chronicles" is most definitely one of those three. So, just what makes this particular episode so good?
    I think when you get down to it, the thing that really makes this episode stand out is that by this point in the season this was not a necessary episode. If it had appeared earlier in the season, it would've made far more sense, as it would've been a logical character builder, providing us with some background information on the Mane 6 that established particular character traits about them. But the thing is, this episode debuted as the 23rd episode of MLP: FiM; by that point, regular viewers of the show were already very familiar with each and every one of the Mane 6, along with the CMC for that matter. We knew their character traits, who they were, how they behaved. So really, this episode does not display so much character building as it does what I'm going to call character addition. Each character's background simply further reinforces the character traits that had already been displayed in the past for each and every one of them. By the end of the episode, it's clear that the Mane 6 were indeed always destined to grow into the young mares they have become by the present day in the show's continuity, be the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, and most importantly, befriend each other and go on countless adventures, learning more and more about each other and the magic of friendship along the way. So overall, the fact that this episode wasn't necessary but fit into the show's continuity so smoothly and was, all in all, just a lovely addition, is probably what qualifies it as such a spectacular episode. Of course, there are plenty of specific elements that go into making this episode so good as well.
    First of all, the sequences of each one of the Mane 6's stories of how they got their cutie marks are all splendid. I've gone on record in the past saying that I cannot personally pick a favorite out of the Mane 6, and the same goes for their background stories in this episode; each one is just the right length (no small feat when you consider that this episode fit six short stories, with segments in-between each one, into a 22 minute episode, and is arguably even better paced than other episodes with a similar amount of action such as "Magical Mystery Cure") and simply fits each character to a T. Some are funnier than others, some are sweeter than others, some are simpler than others, some are more complicated than others, but each one simply seems right for its particular character, and thus they're all special in their own way. Applejack suitably has a pretty simple, humble, heartwarming story of how she got her CM (fittingly related to her love of her family, of course), Fluttershy's excellently contrasted her shy behavior around ponies compared to her outgoing behavior around animals (plus it's simply adorable! ), Rarity's is kind of a curve ball simply in how random and hilarious it is, Twilight's shows off some of her best qualities, namely, her lifelong love of learning but also how even as a filly she's needed help from others whether she knew it or not, Pinkie's makes about as much sense as you would expect her CM story would (to this day the rock farm is one of my favorite canon locations, because, what the heck, it's a rock farm, how random is that?!?!), and finally Rainbow Dash's is, for lack of a better word, awesome, obviously!
    Second, the CMC as usual are entertaining. It's nice seeing them getting creative and thinking outside the box for ways to get their cutie marks. If there's anything negative, however, that I can say about the episode at all, well (braces for Scootalovers hate )... I think Scootaloo gets just a tad annoying in this episode. Usually I love her Rainbow Dash fangasming, and yes, it undeniably drives the action of the episode from story to story, but still, she pretty much ignores every other one of the Mane 6's stories in her quest to get to hear Rainbow Dash's as quickly as possible. It's not really that bad, but after awhile it just got a little grating, that's all. Still, it doesn't take anything away from the episode; that's just a little pet peeve of mine is all, and obviously I love Scootaloo as much as Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. Plus, if anything, I guess that Scootaloo's impatience compared to Apple Bloom's and Sweetie Belle's eagerness to hear all of the stories at the least highlights character differences between the three Crusaders.
    Beyond that, there's not much more I can say about what makes this episode so good. It's simply executed excellently and serves as a wonderful addition to MLP canon. Rather than establishing character traits, it acted more like an unnecessary but very much appreciated cherry on top of an already wonderful first season of the show. I love it, and I'm glad that it seems that most bronies and pegasisters do as well, and it's definitely one of the best episodes worth rewatching.
     

  11. Batbrony
    Ah yes, "A Bird in the Hoof"! This episode is special to me really for one reason and one reason only, but we'll get to that in a moment.
     
    When you get down to it, this episode is a pretty silly and nonsensical filler episode with some adorable, full-on animal caretaker Fluttershy, some panicky, OCD, "OMG Princess Celestia gonna banish our flanks!!!" Twilight (again, foreshadowing far greater things to come in "Lesson Zero"), and the two most devious, cunning trolls Equestria has ever known ( well, perhaps just next to Discord, or at the very least on par)! Still, it does have some serious merits.
     
    Perhaps the best positive character trait on display in this episode is Fluttershy's qualifications as an animal caretaker. In all honesty, despite the fact that we've seen plenty of times just how good she is interacting with and caring for animals, I cannot think of any other episode where her abilities to take care of animals are so prominently on display or heavily dealt with. It's kind of ironic, given that everything she attempts with Philomena completely and utterly fails, but still one can't help but be impressed with everything Fluttershy's got up her sleeve in this episode. The patience she displays as well is extremely commendable and just further goes to show that Fluttershy easily embodies the Element of Kindness more than anypony.
     
    Twilight, although as earlier stated hilariously freaking out throughout the episode, does show how close she's gotten to her friends at this point in Season 1 in one really big and notable way; she doesn't just tell the Royal Guard where Philomena is. Granted she partly doesn't want to get in trouble with Celestia herself, but it seems that she's more concerned with ensuring that Fluttershy stays out of trouble and doesn't suffer any punishment for her well-meaning but misguided royal pet "abduction". She certainly shows how much Fluttershy means to her as a friend in that she sticks with Fluttershy every step of the way till the very end.
     
     
     
     





    'Scuse us sir, we mustache you a question! (sorry, couldn't resist
    )

     
    The lesson at the end, while simple, like so many of Season 1's lessons also has quite a bit of merit. The entire episode is essentially one wild goose chase, or rather, phoenix chase, as it were, and it all could've easily been avoided if Fluttershy just asked Celestia what was "wrong" with Philomena in the first place. A simple but novel lesson that many people should take to heart, as too often trouble or conflicts arise simply on account of miscommunication, or even something as simple as just not asking important questions to the right people.
     
    But enough about that, let's talk about what really makes this episode special! This episode cemented one thing as being canon as far as I'm concerned: Trollestia
     
    Prior to this episode, fans may have begun to notice that it seemed that dear Princess Celestia sometimes did things that were simply unnecessary and sometimes even amplified problems, and at that point we were just beginning to suspect that it might not just be dumb luck or coincidental. After all, this was the wise and benevolent Princess of the Sun who'd ruled Equestria for over 1,000 years! Surely this couldn't all be happening on accident, right?
     
    Well this episode threw whatever doubts we had right out the bucking window! Well, more like sent them straight to the moon!!! The depths of Celestia's trolling in this episode are simply unfathomable and all over the bucking map! She starts by playing some innocent pranks on the Cakes, but then, THEN things get downright cruel. When Fluttershy, who the princess knows very well by this point is obsessed with caring for other animals, shows up, she witnesses on full display Celestia's pet bird Philomena looking crappier than a manticore with a case of the Mondays (don't look at me like that, it's all I could come up with ), who Celestia just so happened to decide to bring along on THIS particular trip, and then FAIL to explain to "OMG I love every animal in the world" Fluttershy is a phoenix going through a normal part of her life cycle. But does the madness end there, oh no, not by a long shot, for it is here that we are introduced to Trollestia's partner in crime, Philomena herself! This bucking bird drags Fluttershy through a frustrating day of fruitless endeavors that eventually culminates in what could've easily been an experience that left the poor pegasus scarred for life, and DID leave her in tears thinking she'd somehow been responsible for killing the troll-phoenix for at least a minute or two. And what does Celestia do when she shows up? She plays it completely straight for a minute or two before openly admitting that Philomena is screwing around with Fluttershy! SHE FLAT OUT ADMITTED THAT THOSE TWO JUST TROLLED HER!!!!!!!!
     
    Since this episode, I've never been able to look at Celestia in quite the same light. I love her dearly, believe me, I do, she's a great mentor character, but I'm forever convinced in my head-canon that, despite all her positive traits, she still goes out of her way to troll her subjects when she can, to my eternal delight!!! Of course, this is half-joking of course, and probably wasn't the writers' intent in any way, shape, or form, but the evidence does appear to be there, plus it just makes for some great memes and running-gags in the fandom! Whatever the case, there is no denying that Trollestia has become one of the dearest and most prolific fanon gags to spin-off in the fandom, and this episode largely confirmed the idea of Celestia as the royal trollness for thousands of bronies such as myself. For that, it forever has a special place in my heart, and ranks up there as one of the most subtly hilarious episodes of Season 1, and the show as a whole for that matter, to date!
  12. Batbrony
    Honestly... "Over a Barrel" is probably my second least favorite episode of Season 1. That's not to say I don't like it, uhuh, far from it. But at the same time, something's just off about the episode's execution. So, I guess let's start with the pros.
    First of all, this episode is extremely entertaining! Applejack's adorable attachment to Bloomberg is both hilarious and kinda cute, especially seeing our favorite cowpony's softer side brought out for an apple tree of all things, the Fluttershy tree sequence is still one of the funniest scenes in all of Season 1, and Spike has quite a few funny moments of his own. The buffalo and Appleloosans are both pretty cool as well. Chief Thunderhooves especially shines; I'm glad that, despite some humorous moments, they played that character pretty straight. I like Little Strongheart, Braeburn, and Sheriff Silverstar as well, but honestly, we don't learn a whole lot about those characters, especially Silverstar, so aside from not doing anything ridiculously stupid, I can't complain too much about them. Finally, for a one-shot episode, the conflict in this episode escalated to quite a dramatic and epic climax! The storming of Appleloosa by the buffalo herd had quite a bit of suspense building up to it and was actually a fairly dramatic scene; again, despite some comedy bits, I appreciate that the writers pretty much played the conflict straight, resulting in one of the larger battle sequences we'd see in the whole show until "A Canterlot Wedding" in Season 2, if you really think about it.
     




    Ummm... this is a kids show, right?
    However, if there's a place where this episode falls short at all, it's in its themes and how the Mane 6 try to resolve things, or rather, fail to resolve things. The conflict pretty much escalates because Applejack and Rainbow Dash prevent Little Strongheart and Braeburn from talking things out and trying to resolve each others differences in a peaceful, civilized manner and coming to a compromise that works for both groups. I get that the writers were clearly trying to convey the irrationality and talking past each other that so often sadly characterized settler and Native American conflicts throughout American history, but the problem is using Applejack and Rainbow Dash to further escalate the conflict; they've just been introduced to the conflict, and so really shouldn't be taking it upon themselves to be the primary representatives of the Appleloosans and buffalo, respectively. Sure, things escalate more on account of Sheriff Silverstar and Chief Thunderhooves, but they don't even really try to talk things out with each other, and that again happens only AFTER Applejack and RD prevented the two groups from talking things over. The next way that the Mane 6 fail in trying to resolve the conflict really irks me to this day; Pinkie's song. The theme of the song itself is not bad; what's bad is the very idea of resolving a conflict like this through song itself! Pinkie trying to solve this type of conflict by singing a song feels too much like something that would happen in an episode of MLP back in G3, or even something a generic Disney feature would try to do these days. The writer's of MLP are smarter than that, so it just feels really lazy and poorly conceived; I'm not saying it's necessarily OOC for Pinkie, but the fact that the Mane 6 can't really come up with anything better than that is stupid. In addition, "You Gotta Share" is probably to this day my least favorite song in the show, not counting any songs in "Equestria Girls"; I don't really think it's all that catchy and memorable is all, and just never get anything out of it. After that, the Mane 6 just don't do anything at all; heck, the episode really is "Over a Barrel" in every sense of the word! Over a barrel, according to the MLP wiki, means being in a helpless position where others are in control, and that pretty much describes the Mane 6 in the whole episode. While that's kind of clever, and no doubt intentional, at the same time in execution it just doesn't work, because the Mane 6 just don't feel like they even belong there or have any point in being there, other than serving as helpless observers of this conflict. In the end, the situation kinda resolves itself on its own in a way that it should've been able to resolve itself in quite easily in the first place without this conflict escalating as much as it did!
     

    My thoughts exactly Twilight!

    Overall, however, I still like this episode. I just have some problems with it thematically and in its execution. Still, there have been far worse Western or Cowboys-and-Indians episodes in other TV shows than this, and I've said it before and I'll say it again, it gets the Cowboys-and-Indians conflict down far better and makes it far more compelling and believable than movies like "Pocahontas" or "Avatar" (the latter of which I hate with a passion and in my opinion is one of the most undeservably over-hyped and overrated movies of all time!!!) do, which is no easy feat and says a lot about the talents of the writers of MLP. Still, its execution is far from perfect, its escalation is far from believable, in no small part due to its easy resolution at the end. All in all, while I enjoy "Over a Barrel" for its entertainment, it's definitely my second least favorite episode of Season 1 due to its thematic and execution problems and for containing my least favorite song of the series, and is definitely one of my least favorite episodes of the show as a whole.
     

    But yeah, no matter how many problems the episode may have, that scene will always be amazing!!!

  13. Batbrony
    "Green Isn't Your Color" gave us yet another one of the funnier episodes from Season 1. Fluttershy and Rarity are unfortunately a pair that haven't appeared together too much since, and that's a shame because they're really fun together in this episode! The "gift of the Magi" story arc that essentially ends up being played out (though in MLP's own unique and original way) is excellently executed, and it's very understandable how such a miscommunication could occur between these two ponies, one being so concerned with proper social behavior and not keeping her friend from being successful, and the other so kind she'd do anything to not let her friend down. Twilight's subplot also presents both an understandable quandary for a friend caught in the middle of a dispute such as this one trying to help both parties while also presenting some very lively and amusing humor, compliments of Pinkie Pie. Some of the outfits Fluttershy and Rarity appear in are too cute, proving quite handily that these two are easily the most naturally graceful of the Mane 6. Oh yeah, and then there's Photo Finish... she's funny.
     
     
     
     


    ...

     
     


    ...

     
     


    ...

     
     
    OK, fine, ya got me, I got more to say about her than that! Aside from the Diamond Dogs, Photo Finish might easily be the funniest one-shot supporting character of Season 1. The character design, the accent, her mannerisms, even her movements, it's all just freakin' hilarious every second she's on screen!!! Definitely in my Top 5 for one-shot supporting characters I'd love to see return to the show.
     
     
     
     




     


    *gasp* Technicolor ponies doing girly things but in a manner that isn't annoying but, dare I say it, endearing?! FAUST, WHAT MADNESS IS THIS?!?!

     
     
    So, all in all, "Green Isn't Your Color" is a hilarious and fun episode with a unique pairing among the Mane 6, a good lesson for both the protagonists and deuteragonist (i.e. Twilight), some great animation, and a fantastic one-shot supporting character. Once again, as so often is the case, Studio B makes DA MAGICZ!!!!!
  14. Batbrony
    Until I saw "Party of One", "A Dog and Pony Show" was hands down the funniest episode of Season 1 for me, and it's still really close between it and "Party of One". Both Spike and Rarity are absolutely hilarious throughout the episode, Rarity proves that she can handle herself in her own way, and the Diamond Dogs both made some of the best pop culture references of the show up to that point and also were unique and original characters in and of themselves. Of course, the biggest staying point of the episode remains Rarity's antics; after all, it's not the greatest ensemble episode, and Spike, despite being awesome, still doesn't do that much. But Rarity? Sweet Celestia, Tabitha St. Germain is simply a revelation throughout the episode; if "Suited for Success" convinced me that Rarity was a great character, this episode convinced me that she's one of the funniest out of the Mane 6, and solidified my appreciation for the unique style of humor she brings to the show.
     
    Finally, it contained what very well may be still the greatest and most memorable extended monologue from any character in Season 1:
     






    I always wonder how many people inside and outside of the recording booth were absolutely losing it when this was recorded. Also, I think I'm in love; Tabitha, will you marry me?

     



     
    All in all, "A Dog and Pony Show" is one of the cleverest parodies that Studio B has done yet of the typical and increasingly girly drivel that was produced by Hasbro from G1-G3, and remains one of the all time funniest episodes of the show. Definitely always a treat to go back and rewatch this one, and every time I have I can honestly say it's never gotten old or redundant. Bravo Rarity, bravo.
     




    Lesson of the Week: never assume that the pretty pony is the easiest one to abduct and hold prisoner. She's not... she's REALLY not.


  15. Batbrony
    This was a fun episode; not much else I can really say about it other than that, since it's not a particularly serious episode. The Cutie Mark Crusaders, as expected, get into all types of shenanigans, culminating in their wonderfully disastrous performance (and quite frankly a delightfully witty send-up on Daniel Ingram's part to the hilarious, over-the-top cheesiness of 80's pop and rock groups! ). I still remember the first time I saw that final scene; my mouth was literally hanging open the entire time, I simply could not believe how bad, and yet at the same time how good, that song was!!!!! I know that it's not everypony's favorite episode, and it's certainly not one of mine, but like I said, what else can ya really say other than this is a really funny episode with a light, but still important, message about discovering your talents? Well, that, and the terrifying image of the CMC in their costumes is forever seared in my mind. Thanks show!
     




    It's so awful, and yet, so awesome at the time. It's... AWESOMEFUL!!!

  16. Batbrony
    "Stare Master" is definitely not one of the most notable Season 1 episodes, but it's still a very fun one. Fluttershy's attempts at babysitting are quite amusing (and her squee is incredibly adorable), the CMC are hilarious (especially considering this is one of the first episodes where we see their childish filly behavior directly contrasted with an older character such as Fluttershy), Sweetie Belle has her first big musical number, the cockatrice is definitely one of the coolest and most unique mythological creatures to appear on the show, and the stare-off between him and Fluttershy is awesome!
     




    D'AAAWWW, there goes Fluttershy being her adorable sel- BUCK, WHO THE BUCK IS THAT?!? DAYUM, FLUTTERSHY BE TERRIFYING!!!


    Oh yeah, this episode also originated the "Scootaloo is a chicken" meme, so it has my eternal appreciation and gratitude for that! Overall, while not a fantastic episode, "Stare Master" is most certainly a solid Season 1 episode on the whole, and always fun to go back to and rewatch.


     




    And thus a thousand memes were launched.


  17. Batbrony
    I really think that "Sonic Rainboom" was a turning point for me in my estimation of Rainbow Dash. I guess before this episode, I'd really only seen Rainbow Dash, while certainly talented, as also a bit of a hot-head, impatient, and sometimes cocky and arrogant. However, the uncertainty and fear of failure that she displayed throughout the episode here gave us a dramatically different RD from the one we'd seen all season, and it actually made me finally realize why her competitiveness isn't a bad thing. The way I now see it, Rainbow Dash is undoubtedly an extremely competitive pony, but, she's not competitive because she simply wants to win; she's competitive because she wants to know and prove to both herself and her friends that she has done and is doing the best she can do and being the best she can be. RD is very, very talented and gifted, and she's very much aware of this, so obviously she doesn't want to squander her talents, but rather use them to the best of her ability, for both herself and for the benefit of those around her (after all, she is the loyalest of ponies). This is quite simply excellently highlighted throughout this episode from start to finish.
     




    Woah, calm the buck down Fluttershy, there's no need to scream your head off!!!



    So, aside from that great bit of character development we got from Rainbow Dash, this episode had A LOT of other great things to offer. Fluttershy's 'yay' scene (still classic ). Seeing the lengths that the earth-bound Mane 6 were willing to go to in order to support Rainbow Dash was rather touching, and a sure sign that the Mane 6 were growing ever closer by the day; even Rarity, despite the fact that she got rather annoying as the episode went on (and don't even get me started on her absolutely terrifying costume!!!!! ), had a fantastic moment when she showed herself willing to actually risk her own neck in order to help RD (seriously, she could've probably gotten hurt if that spell had gone wrong!!!!!). Cloudsdale and all the pegasi were really cool to see, and I wish the show would spend a little more time in Cloudsdale, since I think it's one of the coolest locations we've yet seen in the show!. Finally, the sonic rainboom; what else is there to say, other than... AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




    So, all around, this is undeniably a great episode, probably in my top 10.


     


    Rainbow Dash, thy name is awesome.


  18. Batbrony
    "Feeling Pinkie Keen" is an episode that I really think gets unfairly underrated or, even worse, overly criticized by many members of our fandom, mostly for its message. I for one actually very much enjoyed this episode's message, and thought it was both thought-provoking and rare to see in a children's show these days. I did not feel that it was being preachy; yes, was Pinkie's Pinkie-sense a real thing in their world? Yes. Do I believe that the Christian beliefs that I hold as true are true? Yes. However, I don't think that the message of this episode was that religious beliefs should simply be accepted. Rather, the message was that not everything can be explained by science (the opposite message, that everything can be explained by science, is oftentimes unfortunately a message that one frequently sees in children's shows these days), that for some beliefs, the best you can truly do in the end is have faith in them. That's not to say that history can't support certain religious faiths, in particular, the factuality of many of the historical events related in the Bible, but in the end, the base of every religious belief is faith, and the same can be said for Twilight's belief in the end in Pinkie's Pinkie-sense. Despite the fact that she can't explain it, she simply has to have faith in it that it is real, since, well, it is (which, again, as I said, is somewhat different from religious faith, because no one can ever definitively, 100% confirm the factuality of his/her religious beliefs, no matter how strong his/her faith is in their religious beliefs), and this teaches her that some things cannot be explained, but simply can only be supported by faith, which I for one think is a valuable lesson for children.
     




    Everypony, meet Gummy, the only character more of an enigma than Pinkie Pie. Yes, you heard that right.


     
    Aside from this episode's theme, Twilight and Pinkie were hilarious in this episode, the Hydra scene was an extremely cool creature and action scene in Season 1, and this episode had one of the first (and still one of the funniest) Derpy Hooves' cameos and comic-gags!!!
     




    In Derpy and Raindrops' defense, what kind of crazy bastard (1) hired an airborne, pegasi moving service in the first place, and (2) thought it'd be a good idea for them to transport A BUCKING ANVIL???


  19. Batbrony
    The first Rarity episode, and boy was it a good one!!! This episode got me to really start liking Rarity and viewing her as a good, well written, and most importantly very likable character (mind you, it didn't get me to love her... yet. That didn't happen until later in the season). After seeing the episode, I was struck by just how talented, business-focused, and generous Rarity was; that, and I absolutely love her singing voice!!! She definitely has the most mature and refined singing voice out of the Mane 6, and "Art of the Dress" was a great first song to introduce us to Rarity's solo singing voice (it was also the first full-length solo song of the show, not counting any Pinkie Pie numbers earlier in the season, and so quite a benchmark for Daniel Ingram and the show's musical producers)!!!
     




    This little filly also made her first appearance in this episode; who would've thunk that two seconds of screen time would lead to Vinyl Scratch becoming one of the most popular background ponies in the fandom? Then again, guess it's not that surprising seeing as the same thing had already happened to Derpy Hooves, and that all because of an animation error!


     
    Overall, "Suited for Success" is probably the best debut in a starring role that Rarity could've asked for. It handily built upon the foundations laid earlier in the season of her character, further highlighting her character's most admirable traits, namely, her generosity, and firmly qualified that she was not simply going to be a stereotype, but a well-rounded character with plenty of likable qualities to speak of. A very good episode all in all and always fun to return to.
     




    Suppose it's worth also noting that this episode left me with a new appreciation for dressmaking; I mean, seriously, who would've thought that fashionistas could be so... AWESOME!!!


  20. Batbrony
    Ah yes, the battle of Ponyville's resident tomcolts; still one of my favorite episodes!!! Rainbow Dash and Applejack's antics are to die for, Pinkie Pie is flat out hilarious as a commentator along with Spike ("Yes, and grudge rhymes with fudge!!!!!" oh man, still one of my favorite Pinkie lines ), and the ending is hilarious, especially Twilight's placing fifth (FOR THE EGGHEADS, TWILIGHT, FOR THE EGGHEADS!!! ). All around, a great episode, especially for those bronies who love seeing RD and AJ competing with one another and getting into all sorts of shenanigans.
     
     




    I'm not gonna caption this with anything silly like I usually do; this is just a lovely still from the episode that I think looks simply spectacular. Touching moment with some great animation saying all that needs to be said to wrap this episode up.


  21. Batbrony
    CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS, UNITE!!!!!! The episode that marked the beginning of our favorite group of fillies, this is a rather cute episode. Apple Bloom, in her first outing as the main character of an episode, is quite adorable, and the fun is tripled once Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo enter the picture as well! It's also a very informative episode, in that it was the first episode that really explained cutie marks properly and how a pony gets their cutie mark, and provided further insight into Equestria and the MLP universe. Overall, I really, really love this episode; just like with "Friendship is Magic: Part 1 and Part 2" was for the Mane 6, "Call of the Cutie" is a fantastic origin episode for the rambunctious group of fillies that is the CMC.
     




    Awww, what an endearing group of fillies; I'm sure they won't get into any mischief or cause any sort of mayhem whatsoever as they crusade for their cutie marks! Heheh... right?

  22. Batbrony
    Ah, "Winter Wrap Up; this episode stands out for me simply because it was the first episode where we got a full length, roughly 3 minute long song, and boy-howdy, was it a good one!!! "Winter Wrap Up" was easily my favorite song of the first season, as well as many other bronies from what I've seen across the fandom! Simply a spectacular song, and an early sign of bigger and better things to come. The show right around this time was really starting to come into its own, and that is nowhere more evident than in the impressive "Winter Wrap Up" sequence; impressive animation for Season 1, a fantastic musical number from Daniel Ingram, and just all around a whole lot of fun throughout the number.
     





    And suddenly this show has full-length musical numbers, not just dinky little 30-second sequences. Hats off to you Mr. Ingram. Gosh dang do I love this song!


     
    In addition, the episode had some fun and interesting additions to the canon of the show, most notably of course the Winter Wrap Up tradition that the episode revolves around, had some big laughs, and a lot of fun Twilight/Spike interactions throughout. All in all, this is a great episode to always return to, if only for the "Winter Wrap Up" musical sequence alone!
     




    This was fun! Think we'll get to sing a big musical number like this again?


     


    Hmmm... maybe!

  23. Batbrony
    Oh this was a fun episode!!! Just like in "Look Before You Sleep," there was quite a bit of foreshadowing about just how far off the deep end Twilight can go, especially towards the end!!! Also, a very funny Pinkie Pie episode, especially the payoff at the end; still one of the most random moments ever in the show!!!
     





    Celestia's face at 1:00 gets me everytime!!! Simply the perfect, "Well, I can honestly say I did not expect to see that today" face!!!!!


     
    Not a whole lot to say about this episode seeing as it's mostly a nonsensical one just full of lots of laughs. Definitely has a good lesson that one should never underestimate another just because they may behave a bit bizarrely. Parasprites haven't left that much of an impression on me; I mostly just find them kind of annoying, which I suppose is what they're supposed to be, and they certainly aren't the most groundbreaking addition to the show's canon ever. They serve their purpose here as one-shot antagonists and that's good enough for me. Overall, this episode delivers solid laughs, a solid lesson, and LOTS of Pinkie Pie, and in my book, that's just fine and dandy.
     




    Also, this happened. I don't know why that's notable at all really, but for some unexplainable reason I just know that the world is a little bit better because of it.


  24. Batbrony
    Ah, "Look Before You Sleep". This episode had everything!!!


    1) A showdown that was bound to happen sooner-or-later (i.e. AJ vs. Rarity), and was handled spectacularly by the creators!!! With such polarizing and dynamically opposite personalities, AJ and Rarity's differences needed to be addressed in order to show that they themselves could truly be friends with each other, and not just friends with Twilight, and this episode solidly accomplished that. Applejack in particular came across as particularly mature, although the antics between her and Rarity were absolutely hilarious!
     
    2) This was also a great Twilight episode, actually!! It was one of the first episodes where she was both a supporting character, but we also got to see her (in her adorkable fashion) trying to learn more about friendship, and being extremely cute in the process!!!! You could just tell she'd wanted to throw a slumber party since she was a filly, even if she didn't say so!
     
    3) One... Bucking... Epic... Pillow fight!!!!!!
     
     
     




     
     
    4) This...
     




     
     
    5) And finally, s'mores, and really, we all know that everything is 20% tastier with s'mores!
     




     
     
     
    Overall, "Look Before You Sleep" is a great early episode that slightly deviated in more ways than one from previous episodes in its execution, with only three of the Mane 6 featured the whole episode and a lesson being learned by not one but two characters, further strengthening their unusual friendship. One of my Season 1 favorites, and always worth a rewatch to be sure.
     





    Alright, now kiss!


     

    Pardon?


     

    What was that darling?


     

    You have to, it's in the book, and that means it's a rule. You wouldn't want to ruin my first slumber party would you?!


     

    ...


     

    ...


     

    What?


  25. Batbrony
    Let me start this review by being honest and admitting that I've never understood the fascination with Trixie. She's loud, obnoxious, rude, and quite the boaster (who would've thought? ). The only thing that I really enjoyed about her in this episode was her constantly talking about herself in the third person, and does she just call herself Trixie? HECK NO!!!!!!! She's got a title and everything!!!!!! That was hilarious, and I loved it the entire episode, but then again, I love it whenever anypony has the balls (in a manner of speaking) to constantly refer to themselves in the third person. It just gives me a little chuckle, because I get to say, "My gosh, somepony does have that big of an ego!!!". But overall, this episode did not leave me looking forward to or calling for Trixie to come back, much less get reformed. Some people in this world are just jerks, plain and simple, and there's no changing that, and that's what I especially appreciated about characters such as Gilda and Trixie; they don't change!!! Instead, friendship overcomes their attitudes, and shows them for who they really are: jerks, braggers, and overall, petty and unpleasant company.
     
    Now, I will admit that when Trixie was brought back in Season 3 it was handled pretty masterfully (even if her sort-of redemption was pretty rushed at the end), but I'll save my full thoughts on her appearance in that episode for my review of "Magic Duel".
    Also, Spike was a total pimp with his mustache, and that right there makes this episode solid in my book!
     
     





    PIMPIN'!!!


     
     

    Overall, this was a very good Season 1 episode especially notable for introducing a fan-favorite supporting character/antagonist as well as for showing off Twilight Sparkle's impressive magical abilities quite extensively. The lesson that you shouldn't be ashamed of your abilities so long as you're not boasting about them, and instead be proud of them and never hesitate to use them to the best of your ability is very solid and a good one for all ages. Definitely an early MLP classic.


     
     

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