Drakkon

Finally, I can't wait! Only a short while to go.

I think that the story will always revolve around the Mane Six. Secondary characters like Zecora do have their time in the spotlight, however background I think at most will receive at most what Derpy did in The Last Roundup.

The scene during Return of Harmony part 2 where everyone's in the library. I don't think anything can top it in pure meanness! Fluttershy using that bucket on Twilight and Spike, the keep-away "game", all of it. Possibly Putting Your Hoof Down could contest it, maybe? But I don't think so.

Flash Sentry is not even 1/100th as developed as Twilight Sparkle - literally I think, isn't the 100th episode coming this season? - so I'm unsurprised that people find Flash Sentry boring and not a good match, he's not anymore developed than Big Mac... less. Without a ton more exposition and background for him, it's really difficult to say.

As a person, I can be very critical, depending on the mentality I put on when approaching certain topics. I used to be quite critical of the show - in a good way, analyzing all the great parts of it - but sadly when Season 2 aired and the blissful fun of finding fun stuff ended and became real wars about stuff like Mare-Do-Well, I stopped trying to overthink the show and just enjoy it for what it was. Watching a pony song or seeing episodes brings a very carefree, happy feeling, like I'm a kid again! I don't really care to analyze episodes these days, I just watch the show for the joy it brings to the soul. Some episodes for whatever reason I enjoyed less, and others I enjoyed more, and that's the beginning and end of it for me. But I enjoy them all!

I don't see any reason why it would be impossible for a male alicorn to exist. Either through the process of becoming one or through being born as one, if that's even possible (we do not know whether or not Celestia and Luna were born as alicorns).

I really dislike Gilda out of all the three. Perhaps that means the writers did a good job, but I personally can't stand her to the point that one of the episodes I skipped during my last rewatch was hers.

I don't have any specific episodes that I found to be terrible and then amazing or vice versa beyond those I'm sure were affected by the Herd Mind. For example, I found Feeling Pinkie Keen and Over a Barrel to be pretty fun episodes at first, but after the connotations to religion and North American colonialism were put in my mind I can't stand them. Others that I initially disliked, probably thanks to the ton of criticism I read just as they were released like Mysterious Mare-Do-Well, now years after their release I've grown to like. Or others like Look Before You Sleep which everyone praised at the start, I now find average. The most disappointing of all changes though is just Season 1 in general. I became a brony off season 1 when there wasn't a season 2, but today I find most of Season 1 to be very boring except, of course, the golden classics like Winter Wrap Up, The Best Night Ever, and others. It's a huge bother for me right now to begin a rewatch since watching Season 1 for me is a significant drag. Perhaps I've just grown so used to it that I find it dull; episodes that I found cute like The Ticket Master and Applebuck Season are now mindwrenchingly boring!

Over a Barrel and Feeling Pinkie Keen. I thought the first was ok and really liked the second, but after the first time someone planted in my head the allusion to the NA colonization and to religion I found it difficult to enjoy those episodes anymore.

I just watch the show and participate in the online community, nobody has ever known that I'm a brony except my sister, who too often barges in without knocking to see ponies everywhere on my screen when looking at a site.

Discord is Starswirl, I suppose. I guess it's more in the "wishful thinking" department.

Everyone was screaming "marketing" and "forced insert", I remember too well! I know some people really don't like Cadence still, apparently complaining that she is too perfect.

A Canterlot Wedding and Magical Mystery Cure. Both were really fun episodes in my opinion.