Thrond

Leap of Faith - This Is probably the most difficult choice made in any of the season 4 “key” episodes. It’s a bit less energetic than the others, but the conflict here is unusually complex for this show. Great stuff. A Health of Information - The character behaviour here is a bit off, but like the above this has a complex moral that I can’t help but admire, and it’s also very funny. A Horse Shoe-In - I find most of the jokes here kinda annoying, but this is pretty cleverly structured and has a great moral, plus we get to see Trixie stand up for poor Gallus, which is lovely. The Washouts - Like the above, I mostly don’t like the jokes here, but it’s insightful and does a good job of conveying its moral. This one is lower because I think Dash’s selfishness is too much and because I find Lightning Dust being villainous to be disappointing. Viva Las Pegasus - This episode strikes me as pretty formulaic but it’s an enjoyable, well-executed version of its formula. Hearthbreakers - I like Pinkie’s family a lot but the main plot drags this one down for me. It’s just so predictable, and seeing Applejack struggle with Pie family traditions kills the mood of the warm family bonding moments. Green Isn’t Your Colour - This episode is very funny, but it seems like everything would have been resolved more easily if Twilight had just spilled the beans. The story disproves the moral. It’s About Time - This definitely has its moments, but it seems kinda pointless and contrived, and I find Twilight’s leaps of logic exasperating. Parts of it are funny, though.

Big Mac/Sugar Belle - They're cute together. Not much else to say about that; it was effectively built up by the show over the course of the last three seasons. Lyra/Bon Bon - I like this mostly for what it represents - an onscreen same-sex marriage. These two were appealing characters in the 100th episode, and I appreciate that the animators finally paid homage to the dominant fan interpretation, but I'm mostly invested because I browsed a bunch of cute fan art of them, and because it's more explicit LGBT representation than Scootaloo's aunts. Pinkie Pie/Cheese Sandwich - I briefly got into this at the height of my shipping phase but it wasn't built up that well, even though Cheese allegedly helped Pinkie "discover her purpose." I also feel weird about celebrity guests being in relationships with the main characters but I'm not sure that's very justified; they're cute together regardless. Applejack/Rainbow Dash - The show didn't really build up any sort of inter-mane six romance, so this really came out of nowhere, especially after their friendship was so poorly-written in the past few seasons. But back in my shipping phase this was my favourite, so I kinda have a soft spot for this. It feels like I miraculously won a game that I stopped playing years ago, and I would be interested if the comics did a romantic subplot about them. Fluttershy/Discord - Discord is less of a jerk than he used to be but he's still a jerk. Dunno why anyone tolerates him. Fluttershy deserves better. Yona/Sandbar - They're still together? That's adorable. Maud Pie/Mudbriar - This couple is underrated and I'm happy to see they're still together. I bet they got married.

Yes, but that wouldn't make it any easier for her. I didn't even consider that angle. But of course that brings up the likelihood that she would constantly be hoping that never happened. Yeah, that's my point. Even if alicorns weren't immortal and he hadn't befriended Discord, there's always other dragons.

He actually kinda approaches this from the opposite direction; he's probably already outlived plenty of people, but this is the first time he's actually cared about others enough for it to be a problem. That's something he's gonna have to learn to deal with, which is interesting. That's definitely sad, but he was born into it by being a dragon, and unlike Twilight there will be plenty of other dragons his age for him to befriend. And his official title has less weight to it so it won't alienate him either. Flurry was so young for the entire time we saw her that it's hard to feel the weight of her immortality - even after the time skip, she still has decades before she starts outliving her friends. That she was born into that status actually kinda makes it worse in some ways, but it also means that Cadance can raise her to be ready for it. But Cadance actually horrifies me in this respect even more than Twilight. She was already in this position by the time we met her, so it has less impact, but supposedly she outright moved away from her hometown to become a princess, plus she has to outlive her husband - and that's a bond that's supposed to be a bit more permanent.

Yes, she probably will. She is taking Celestia’s place, and Celestia has lived an extremely long time. You can speculate all you want, but she is an alicorn and they are not. The show has invalidated that tweet. And you know what? There are reasons to be happy about immortality. I know I would prefer not to grow old and die. Plus she gets to share knowledge with every future generation. Trying to rationalize it still causes me trouble, though. She never asked for any of this, and we have no indication that was something she wanted. All of her friends got to make choices, and it kinda feels like she didn’t, no matter how much she goes along with everything. More significant to me is how Celestia’s age has quite clearly alienated her from Equestrian society. Does Celestia have friends who treat her as an equal, or have the years prevented anyone from seeing her as anything other than the immortal princess? Twilight still viewed her that way even after being declared a princess. Is this something Twilight wants, or does she accept that fate out of obligation? What would have happened if she just said “no”? That is why I’m not comfortable with her character arc.

Starlight still lives there, I guess? We’re it not for that I would have just assumed the whole thing is a giant library now.

Well, yes, and to be honest I just don't want to see her be calmer than her friends. It didn't seem necessary for them to go that far.

Wait, I can’t believe I forgot Going to Seed. Put that one at #3; I really love its gentle vibe, and Applejack’s character arc of reconnecting with childhood imagination is something I found really endearing.

Friendship Games is a mess but it's got its heart in the right place and I still find it pretty fun. It feels almost unfinished, because there's all sorts of scenes that go nowhere and events that don't have any buildup, but it has some interesting ideas and a lot of charm. Meanwhile, Legend of Everfree bored me senseless. Could not connect to Twilight's plight at all, because I was never sure how seriously I should take it. Maybe I would get it more on a second viewing but it's 45 minutes long and incredibly mild so I don't really want to do that.

Yeah no that would be just as out of left field.

Well I would assume it did sink in, because she never did that again. No, no, I understand all of that, I just hate it. And I hate "A Trivial Pursuit" so I doubly hate that it had any impact on anything. You don't need to explain that season's narrative arc to me. Although, to be frank, I do not think that Twilight's friends behaved much better than she would under the circumstances, and I believe that Twilight would have had every right to freak out at that time.

I get that, but that actually makes the episode worse for me because I don't care about the "Twilight getting ready to rule Equestria" storyline. The show never gave it any urgency or emotional weight. I'm glad you were satisfied by that though. The other reason why I think "Lesson Zero" did a better job is because Twilight did learn something. She realized she had gone too far, and Celestia told her that she didn't need to worry so much about being perfect. That led up to the breathing exercises we saw in season 3, and then she mostly stopped 'Twilighting' until season 7, a couple career-related episodes aside. Also, the association with "A Trivial Pursuit" makes "The Summer Sun Setback" much worse in my mind.

I guess they aren't doing anything explicitly romantic. It just reminded me of when Rainbow Dash crashed Lyra and Bon Bon's date in "Grannies Gone Wild."

Twilight went even further all the way back in "Lesson Zero," and yet I wouldn't have wanted her to just get over it then either. Having her reach a nadir and then suddenly get over it in the next episode is just pushing to the opposite extreme, as if she can only panic too much or not at all. "A Trivial Problem" lacked the psychological depth that makes 'Twilighting' interesting and even relatable, and "The Summer Sun Setback" seems completely oblivious to that depth in the first place. They turned her into a parody of herself so they could win points for simplistic character development, all in the name of a forced ending, and you're going to have to forgive me for not considering that a good thing.

For Whom the Sweetie Belle Toils - Like the other two Crusaders/Luna episodes, this one feels like a pretty authentic childlike perspective to me; Sweetie Belle's motivations are immature but not necessarily unsympathetic. I like that, once she understands the big picture, she immediately sets about fixing it. It also has arguably the most significant Luna role, because she and Sweetie share the experience of being overshadowed by their older sisters. And like the other two there's some great nightmare imagery in this. One of my favourites. The Fault in Our Cutie Marks - Oh my god it's so cute. Gabby is just the sweetest thing, and then the CMC try so hard to help her, but then she winds up helping them, and it's just the cutest thing in the world. And I like the perspective on cutie marks here - just because griffons can't have cutie marks doesn't mean they can't find a place in the world. On the Road to Friendship - This episode is funny, and the song is great. I find Starlight and Trixie's bickering a little exasperating after a while, and Starlight trading Trixie's cart is very questionable, but the idea that they're bickering because the road trip has gotten to them helps with both of those issues, and otherwise it's just so charming. A Dog and Pony Show - This episode is funny. It Isn't the Mane Thing About You - This is relatively bland but it's sweet and the moral is terrific. Rarity being thrown off by a few changes to her schedule is something I can relate to a lot, and her new look at the end is brilliant. The jokes are weak but the back-to-basics approach here was refreshing at the time, given that this is from my least favourite season. Putting Your Hoof Down - This episode doesn't make any sense but I always enjoy watching Fluttershy be a jerk. The One Where Pinkie Pie Knows - This has some funny moments but I just can't deal with Pinkie constantly straining to avoid spilling the beans, especially when it seems like the world is out to get her. It just stresses me out to the point that I find this unwatchable. Dragon Dropped - Might have been bearable if Rarity didn't seem to miss Spike solely because he does work for her. This feels like it doubles down on all of the worst implications of their relationship, and I think it's the least likable Rarity has ever been, even though her behaviour doesn't seem "out-of-character" otherwise. Watching this made me genuinely wonder if the show wanted me to hate Rarity, because some of the creative choices here are just baffling.

Best: The Point of No Return - Really funny episode which provides a neat twist on Twilight’s perfectionism by initially seeming to validate it. Frenemies - This is really funny, just one great joke after another, and focusing exclusively on the villains is a delightful change of place. Common Ground - I really enjoyed how Rainbow just wanted to help but still got to learn something, and I find Quibble’s earnest struggle to understand sports really endearing and relatable. Sparkle’s Seven - Really funny fanfic you’ve got there. Plus it’s great to see Spike’s place in Twilight’s family acknowledged. Growing Up is Hard to Do - Yeah, yeah, it’s out-of-place, I know. I still think this is really sharp otherwise. Worst: Dragon Dropped - This makes it look like Rarity only cares about Spike because he does work for her, and that’s kinda messed up. 3, 2, 1, Greaaat! - Who actually wants to watch Dash be this rude? I mean she’s always been lazy, but she puts in 110% effort where it counts. Extra points for half-decent moral. A Trivial Pursuit - Weird faces and screaming does not equal a funny cartoon. The Summer Sun Setback - I really don’t feel like this was the best time to try protecting Twilight’s feelings, and I think the idea that she should be more calm than her friends is just awful. Glad they didn’t stick with that. Sweet and Smoky - There were already two other episodes this season with this exact same moral, and they were way more interesting.

I dunno, I was being sarcastic. How did she figure that out at the end, anyway? She didn’t actually make it to Post Crush in most of the loops.

I have an incredibly hard time picking both categories; for the top spot, I actually have somewhere around 12 episodes that I think have a legitimate claim to being the all-time best episode of the show. I suppose my top 5 would look something like this: Lesson Zero Horse Play A Hearth's Warming Tail Rarity Investigates! The Best Night Ever But I could list those in any order and still consider that accurate, or even replace any one of them with, say, "The Last Roundup," or "Wonderbolts Academy," or "Pinkie Pride." My bottom 5 is more clear, and looks something like this: What About Discord? Magical Mystery Cure Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep? The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well Non-Compete Clause But although I really do think "What About Discord?" is the episode of this show with the least merit, that also means it doesn't leave enough impact to offend - can something so forgettable really be the "worst"? Maybe.

Oh, and are Derpy and Bulk Biceps a couple? That's adorable.

Fair enough, I guess. Although, this whole arc has made me wonder what that whole princess council thing at the start of Equestria Girls was.

I completely missed this one. I'm always down for cute doggy antics, and Spike's was the most we've gotten of that yet. That was adorable. Fluttershy's was funny because it was just done so quickly... being able to talk to animals must solve a lot of problems. And Rarity's was okay but I especially liked how Fluttershy didn't even care that Rarity was upset. Fluttershy wants Rarity to flee for her amusement and that's kinda weird. Also Post Crush are way more likable in this than in the special, though probably because pets make everyone more likable. It always strikes me how much better these shorts are than all of the long-form stuff this show tries.

She was wrong because apparently she could have gone along with everything Pinkie was doing and still had time to see Post Crush. I don't really care for the moral either... it's just so basic. This one in particular is just incredibly stretched-out even though it doesn't do anything original. Yeah but all of her complaining felt basically the same to me. It never seemed like she cared about Pinkie's feelings until near the end.