Season 5: For the kids

[cider float 2,539]

Lot of season 5 episodes seem to have poor writing and the concepts were just all over the place, lot of the episodes seem to be only for gags. So in short season 5 is the season for the intended audience. 

[Mesme Rize 15,687]

I don't know. Evil dictators, brainwashing every pony to be equal in a 1984 enviroment dosen't sound like a family friendly time to me.

 

It's all a matter of opinion.

[Vulcan 3,255]

While I admit there were a few meh episodes that targeted children, I think the same can be said for every season.

As a whole I really like this season,

sure,they may not have portrayed Luna in the best possible light but they did a lot of things really well.

[RarityFan01 2,444]

Brain washing similar to one used in North Korea (The Cutie Map), an episode about grief (Tanks for the Memories), an episode about losing your home (Castle Sweet Castle), an episode about business management (Canterlot Boutique), war (Party Pooped), mentions of disownership of kin (Bloom and Goom) don't sound very childish to me. In fact, they seem very mature. Yes, even Canterlot Boutique. It may not be dark, but most children don't need to learn about business management.  

[Captain Trek 32]

I haven't seen the most recent one yet, but to my way of thinking the primarily gag-driven episodes thus far have been Castle Sweet Castle, Slice of Life, Party Pooped, and Brotherhooves Social (the latter two of which I consider to be quite bad, CSC I consider middling, and SoL I consider fantastic). That's just four out of the 17 I've seen (counting both parts of Cutie Map as one episode). In contrast, I'd unreservedly call Cutie Map, Lost Treasure of Griffonstone, Amending Fences, Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep, Rarity Investigates, Made in Manehattan, and Crusaders of the Lost Mark well-written and thoughtful episodes. All episodes of FiM do some degree of comedy, of course, but these ones are all quite serious and do it well, when you get right down to it.

Meanwhile, Bloom and Gloom, Tanks For the Memories, Appleoosa's Most Wanted, Make New Friends But Keep Discord, and Canterlot Boutique have some shaky writing or moments, but all are trying to deliver a serious, heartfelt message at the end of the day. And none of these episodes are strictly bad (the worst of the bunch, BaG and TFtM, get 5/10 from me), at least IMO.

That really just leaves Princess Spike, which is a horribly written episode that doesn't even have the common decency to be pure comedy like the also poorly written Party Pooped was trying to be. But horrendous Spike episodes are something we all should have gotten used to by now and really don't reflect the overall quality of the season.

So to sum up, we have:

1/17: Good and purely gag-based
1/17: Middling and purely gag-based
2/17: Bad and purely gag-based
7/17: Good, with a serious message
5/17: Middling to decent, with a serious message
1/17: Bad, with a serious message

Between that and the envelopes they've been pushing, unafraid to take risks and shake up the status quo, I wouldn't say this season has been pandering to the target audience at all. If anything, they're broadening their horizons even more than they did in season 4.

[Moved to Elsewhere 11,331]

When your premiere episode is about a 1984 esc communist dictatorship, I don't think you're, "Pandering to the intended demographic." 

[chirox the pony 1,336]

The premier aside what was so different about this season's episode plots then any others? 

[deadprofile 1,123]

I think the episodes have only gotten stronger, especially comparing Season 5 against 1&2. Didn't have what @RarityFan01 mentioned in Season 1. I think the writing has become very mature, trying to tackle deeper issues than many kids shows I have ever watched for the specific demographic this show is geared towards.

[green 331]

The only episodes I dont like are the appleloosa one and Princess spike. But even those had some moments I like. To be honest, Season 5 seems to be the season I laughed the most and had more memorable stories that stood out.

Plus, the CMC got their cutie marks :D

[GuyNamedEarl 1,332]

I think Season 5 has the deepest subject matter out of all the season. They defiantly aren't pandering to the target audience.

[Jeric 46,869]

Lot of season 5 episodes seem to have poor writing and the concepts were just all over the place, lot of the episodes seem to be only for gags. So in short season 5 is the season for the intended audience.

Please provide specifics to better illustrate your point. I suspect the near unanimous arguments against your generalized statement should be enough to cast the claim you made into doubt, but I invite you to itemize examples to allow for a more engaging discussion.

[mars 4,863]

The entire show is for the kids. Every episode is made for the kids. The good, the bad, and the incredible. The episode has brainwashing? Yes. Still for kids. The episodes have a bunch of background characters in the spotlight? Sure, it's more aimed for bronies, but at the end of the day it's still for kids.

 

So by saying "season 5 is for kids!" You're right. Season 5 is for kids. Just as season 1, 2, 3, and 4 were. Just like season 6, 7, and 8 will be.

 

This show? Sure, it was made so adults can watch it too, but this show doesn't belong to us. It belongs to the kids.

 

By the way, saying a show is "for kids" is not an insult. Many children shows these days are more intelligent and beautiful than 'adult' shows.

[Kivil 1,721]

I don't know. Evil dictators, brainwashing every pony to be equal in a 1984 enviroment dosen't sound like a family friendly time to me.

 

It's all a matter of opinion.

Don't forget the episode about accepting Transgenders and crossdressers for who they are 

[Silver Stream. 708]

Hrrrmmmm well before I say anything else, I'd like to point out that this show was created for kids in the first place? It just so happened it hooked a lot of adults than they anticipated. 

 

The writing seems the same as it's always been, but my main thing is there are a lot of episodes that I consider a bit "too dark and mature" for kids. Every episode created is targeting the kids actually....especially through a kid's perspective. However, so far in this  season:

 

We start with a cult ran by a dictator who's stripping away cutiemarks and brainwashing them into thinking she's right. (CutieMarp). An episode that shows the stages of grief about letting someone go or even handling death (Tank for the Memories). Self harm and depression (Do Princess Dream of Sheep). Hitting puberty(Crusaders of the Lost Mark). and if someone else sees something in the other episodes, let me know. lol

[Princess Book Horse 353]

Season 5's writing is at least twice as good as the writing in Season 4 IMO.

[Jammo 986]

Season 1 is the most childish season.  There were the occasional brushes with darker themes (Party of One) but consider the tonal difference between the pilot episodes with Nightmare Moon and any villain-themed two-parters.  In the first season they didn't see it's expanded audience coming AND they had to adhere to the then strict policies initially put on the series.  These were tossed aside about the time of Lesson Zero.

[LHfunk 422]

Do people look for how bad or good writing is when they watch TV? That would just take the fun out of watching a show. It's like looking specifically for mistakes in a book, rather then reading it. Anyway, to the topic. This season is definitely more spread out in ideas then the others, but it's definitely not just aimed at kids. I'd give example, but everyone else has already done a good job.