Thrond

Okay fine "A Royal Problem" was actually really good. A little surprising that this overly plot-and-moral-focused episode is actually one of the funnier ones this season, but there you have it. Does a really good job keeping its story from becoming a slog while still having a lot of depth, and almost every plot beat feels earned. Starlight still has the same problems, but they worked for this story, and while I wish Luna and Celestia could have gotten more lighthearted hijinks, that wouldn't have fit, and both are given impressive nuance, if at the expense of potential quirks. The map is still awful, but Twilight is great for the second episode in a row; this is basically her "Viva Las Pegasus." Guess I was wrong to be worried!