MLP: Best of the Mane 6

[SoberStarlight 906]

Hello,

Just a quick, thought-provoking question:

Out of all 7 seasons, what are the must-watch episodes for each of the mane 6 (The most entertaining, or best, episode for each respective pony) and why? 

Thanks, 

Jayson

 

[Drunkfrank 1,125]

Twilight: The Cutie Remark

Applejack: The Perfect Pear

Rainbow Dash: Tanks for the Memories

Pinkie Pie: Pinkie Pride

Fluttershy: Hurricane Fluttershy or A Health of Information

Rarity: Rarity Investigates

Starlight: A Royal Problem

Spike: Gauntlet of Fire

[Ivan The Adorable 304]

This is an insanely hard question to answer. 6 out of the...169(!?)... episodes this season brings us to?

Going with my gut

Twilight Sparkle: Lesson Zero. Honestly, maybe mostly because the absurdity of the humor in this episode, but also because it opened Twilight up to a lot more personal vulnerability and broader character flaws than she had previously owned

Applejack: Pinkie Apple Pie. This isn't cheating, I promise. I think of this as more of an Applejack episode. To me Applejack's best are about commitment to family and while there are a couple of others I think do that just as well for her, this is also a favorite overall episode. (I haven't watched Perfect Pear yet, which I've gathered is an AJ ep that seems to have blown everyone away)

Rainbow Dash: Wonderbolts Academy - this was one of the earliest and best pivots for RD's character by showing off her passion and a capacity for a sense of responsibility that has eluded her for much of her earlier run

Rarity: Suited for Success - There are a lot of Rarity episodes and moments that I think are top notch, but I have to go with this for establishing so perfectly the quintessential nature of Rarity in hard work, creativity and sacrifice for her craft

Fluttershy: Hurricane Fluttershy - one of the earlier episodes that had Fluttershy finding more of her own motivation for overcoming her problems. I'm kind of up and down on Fluttershy's representation throughout the seasons, but this I think hits the sweet spot.

Pinkie Pie: Pinkie Pie supersedes writing and analysis and you can't make me choose one

Bonus: Spike's is Gauntlet of Fire and I'm skeptical it is possible to argue differently

[Megas 27,061]

Twilight - Amending Fences 

Applejack - Apple Family Reunion 

Rainbow - Wonderbolts Academy 

Rarity - Suited For Success

Fluttershy - Hurricane Fluttershy 

Pinkie - Pinkie Pride

[Firedog 320]

Just off the top of my head.

 

Pinkie: 

Pinkie Pride: because the songs and plot is awesome.

Secrets and Pies: cause I like the comedy and it ended well.

 

Rainbow Dash:

Sonic Rainboom: because we get to see how awesome rainbow dash is. 

Testing Testing 123: cause I like the comedy again. And the Rainbow dash twilight duo worked well. Was a well paced episode with a relatable message.

 

Twilight:

Shadow Play: Love twilight's character in this one, it's an epic plot.

 

Rarity: 

Sweet and Elite: I just really liked how the episode came together.

Rarity Investigates: Again like the comedy/writing, it was also cool to see the Rarity and Rainbow dash duo.

 

Applejack:

Apple family reunion: good lesson, good plot, and good resolution. Story was interesting.

 

Fluttershy:

Hurricane Fluttershy: Fluttershy overcame her fear in a more believable way. Show cased Rainbow and her relationship too. Story keeps interesting.

 

Starlight:

Uncommon Bond: No cringe like some of the starlight episodes suffer from. Was good episode that didn't portray starlight in way over the top way. Relatable message.

 

 

Favorite episode with all the mane six together:

Saddle Row Review: Comedy is great

 

Edited October 16, 2017 by Firedog

[DonMaguz 1,023]

I chose the episodes which I believe to display better the mane 6's personalities (the same goes with bonus characters).

Twilight Sparkle: Lesson Zero.

Applejack: Bats!

Rarity: Canterlot Boutique.

Fluttershy: A Health of Information.

Rainbow Dash: Read it and Weep.

Pinkie Pie: A Friend in Deed.

 

Bonus main characters:

Spike: Power Ponies.

CMC: Ponyville Confidential. (As individuals each CMC dream episode)

Starlight Glimmer: Every Little Thing She Does.

[n1029 224]

Twilight - Twilight's Kingdom

Pinkie - Party Pooped

RD - Testing 1 2 3

Applejack - Pinkie Apple Pie

Fluttershy - Hurricane Fluttershy

Rarity - Rarity Takes Manehattan

[Thrond 3,257]

From what I have seen thus far:

Twilight Sparkle: "Lesson Zero." Aside from just how funny it is to watch her freaking out, I feel this also provides a lot of insight into her insecurities which makes her more relatable. 

Applejack: "The Last Roundup" is sublime, but Applejack is absent from a fair bit of it. If I can't go with that, then "Leap of Faith," which provides a sympathetic and genuinely complex challenge to her honesty. 

Rainbow Dash: "Wonderbolts Academy." Not really a contest, frankly; this homes in with laser precision on everything which makes Dash great as a character. The insecurity, the confidence, and the earnestness are all accounted for. 

Rarity: "Rarity Takes Manehattan." She's just so sweet in this, but it doesn't go so far as to make her feel perfect. The first episode to really put an emphasis on her generosity, and just so joyous to boot. 

Fluttershy: "Hurricane Fluttershy." Not much new for me to say about this. It's wonderful to see Fluttershy go to such lengths to help her friends and hometown, and the mushy melodrama is just wonderful.

Pinkie Pie: Probably "Pinkie Pride," which doubles down on Pinkie's hyper positivity while also emphasizing the deeper concerns and insecurities which drive that energy. As a pure dose of Pinkie this can get a little tiring, but it's just such a rush. 

And since others are doing it:

Spike: You know, I gotta say "The Times They Are a Changeling." Not perfect, but the challenge Spike faces is emotionally powerful, and I appreciate the anti-racism subtext. Shame about the ending though. 

CMC: Any of their solo episodes with the dream sequences. Those episodes are all massively creative and insightful, and two of them are among my top 10 episodes of the whole show. 

Starlight: Should maybe wait until I see "Uncommon Bond," but for now "The Crystalling" is hard to top. Shows a lot of promise with her insecurity, and if you ask me it could very well still be her funniest appearance. 

[Hierok 11,829]

Twilight: Lesson zero

Applejack: The perfect pear

Rainbow Dash: Griffon the brush off

Pinkie Pie: Party of one

Fluttershy: Keep calm and Flutter on

Rarity: Rarity investigates

Starlight: To where and back again

Spike: Dungeons and Discords

[Sly 236]

Twilight: a contest between Twilight's Kingdom, Amending Fences, Once Upon a Zeppelin and Shadow Play.... please don't make me choose on her;

Rainbow Dash: Tanks for the Memories and Parental Glideance;

Rarity: It Ain't the Mane thing about you;

Applejack: The Mane Attraction;

Fluttershy: all her S6 AND S7 eps.... yep I went there for her;

Pinkie Pie: Pinkie Pride;

The mane 6 as a group: The Saddle Row Review;

CMCs: the dream trilogy if taken as single characters and Crusaders of the Lost Mark as a group;

Discord: Dungeons and Discords and Discordant Harmony;

Spike: Gauntlet of Fire and The times they are a Changeling;

Starlight Glimmer: A Royal Problem and Shadow Play.

 

Aaaannnddd i guess I got them all.

Edited October 17, 2017 by Sly

[Dark Qiviut 22,173]

Well, well, well, who started the party without me?

Twilight:

1. Amending Fences: Easily the pinnacle of episodes starring her. Everything about this episode is absolutely flawless. Minnuette, Twinkleshine, and Lemon Hearts are fantastic. Moondancer is one of the most realistic and relatable characters ever to come out of this series. Twilight has to undergo a conflict where she would've been a complete wreck if she didn't grow into a princess: how to reconnect someone who changed for the worse because you didn't take her seriously and stood her up. Moondancer finally letting it all out in painful, tear-driven detail is one of the saddest, most gut wrenching scenes in the entire franchise.
2. Lesson Zero: Unlike most on the list, I don't like this one as much. But when judging it for its quality, it's one of the show's best, bar none. Everything about this plot is tip-top solid. The comedy is top notch with incredible sunrise/sunset animation that foreshadows Twilight's dive into insanity. There's so much delicious black comedy that you turn this episode into a mild Treehouse of Horror. Just stare at Twilight with her very wide, terrifying smile and the "Hi, girls!", and absorb the amazing chill that creeps up your back.

Pinkie Pie:

1. Party of One: Isn't it obvious?  Pinkie Pie had a hilariously creepy outing here. This episode is a character study. She has an inherit sense of altruism; making others happy makes her happy. If it doesn't work, she feels she has to do better. But when the others act sneaky, Pinkie believes the worst is happening, and given her character, it makes sense. Of course, PoO ain't memorable without Pinkie becoming crazy — talking to turnips and rocks and flour under the belief that she ain't wanted.
2. Pinkie Pride: One of the best musical episodes ever to come out of the series. Pinkie really shines as a character, and given how poorly she was written for most of season 4 up to this point, it was an amazing breath of fresh air. While PoO was about her altruism, PiP handled a concept that was a long time coming in this show: What to do when someone more well-known than you and can do the same talent in a much grander and more epic scale? This episode was a trail of emotions, beginning with hopelessness and then confidence in Pinkie's Lament and finishing with an over-the-top romp, where Pinkie realized she was so focused on being the party planner, she broke her Pinkie Promise. Oh, and Cheese Sandwich is absolutely awesome. Easily one of the best written and most likeable male characters.

Now, typing on an tablet is a pain. BRB.

[Dark Qiviut 22,173]

OK, I'm back!

Rarity:

1. Suited for Success: Leading up to here, season 1 wasn't very kind to her, and two episodes preceding this (Boast Busters, BG) were two of her worst in the entire series. This is the first to really push her at her bet, and it still holds up. Everything about how Rarity designs the clothing and dresses for her is an exercise of creativity. Her personality and lust for excellent quality rub onto everything she makes. So, when her friends pressure her (through clever usage of client archetypes) of what they want than trusting her judgment, things went haywire, concluding with her first of many famous breakdowns. Having the RM5 (with Opal's help) put together Rarity's dress was a great method to make up to her and show how much they care about her.
2. It Isn't the Mane Thing About You: This was a royal surprise into not only season 7, but the series altogether. There's a fine line between egotistical and self-confident; Rarity stays in the line of self-confidence. How she struts and waves her mane automatically commands attention, but she doesn't do it because it's all about her. It's about helping others. So, when she loses her mane to an accident, her self-confidence is tested for the first time. Everywhere, she acts invisible and internally fights back the command for attention. When her friends' desperate attempts for a proper wig fail, who can blame her for feeling she as both a character and brand are fads? But here's the one thing this episode does well: It doesn't make them act like jerks to her; Rarity tries to stay so disguised with hopes of not being recognized by the merchants. Secondly, her friends really shine, especially AJ; everyone tried to help her and stuck with her through her trauma. The ending (Rarity changing her mane to punk style) is one of the smartest and cleverest in the entire series.
3. Rarity Takes Manehattan: Rarity's best are incomplete without this classic. Everything started out a little slow, on the nose, and maybe a little clumsy. But once Suri showed up, everything was masterful. This episode forced her to deal with plagiarism, a complete disregard of her hard work and creativity, and response to it. Needless to say, Rarity didn't respond well. Because Suri took advantage of her biggest and best quality, she couldn't trust anyone, not even her friends, and their fight in the hotel room lead to excellent character moments, including realizing what she had done. On top of that, Coco Pommel was excellent here, and the moral of keeping your will and not changing who you are after being taken advantage of is one of the best in the show.

Applejack:

1. The Perfect Pear: I'm cheating a bit, since this is mostly an Apple family episode, but no list is complete, period, without the greatest MLP episode of all-time. Everything about TPP is so right. The Apple siblings' curiosity of what happened to the Apple/Pear feud, wanting to learn more about their parents' history, and going around Ponyville to talk to ones they were close with turns them into impactful beings in their lives. Burnt Oak and his brotherly relationship with Bright Mac, Mrs. Cake learning to bake with help of Buttercup makes them feel so whole. Unlike many episodes this series, TPP's more down to earth, and, boy, does it work so brilliantly. The relationship of Buttercup and Bright Mac is so organic that it feels like a real couple. "You're in My Head Like a Catchy Song" is the best song of S7 and maybe the entire series for being so heartwarming, beautiful, and tear-inducing. Felicia Day and William Shatner as BC and Grand Pear, respectively, were awesome.
2. The Mane Attraction: Season 5 ended on a really great two-episode run, and this is the back end of the two. For most of the series, AJ's stubbornness is portrayed negatively. TMA's the first and only one to use it as a strength. Applejack suspected something was wrong when Coloratura was told by Svengallop what to do and then performed music that was all style, no substance, and was more artificial than a Pepperidge Farm cookie. Yes, Svengallop helped her succeed, but she was successful and obviously not all that happy with maintaining a façade rather than showing us who the real her is. With help from her friends, she outs Sven as a manipulator and liar, and she shines best when performing from the heart.
3. Apple Family Reunion: The most underrated episode of the entire series. It's not the grandest episode of the series, but it doesn't need to be. In fact, that was a nice secondary moral: You don't need to go so overboard to make your time with your friends memorable. Rather than being stubborn, she wanted to make the reunion as grand as possible so those who may not make it (back) for a future reunion will have something to remember by.

Rainbow Dash:

1. Sleepless in Ponyville: This is a Scootaloo episode, but Rainbow Dash had one of her best characterizations in the entire series here. Everything about her is really balanced. Her ability to show off how cool she is without being too egotistical and proving her excellent flying abilities. How hilariously oblivious she can sometimes be. How she can tell one hell of a ghost story. But when shit got real, she was right there. Rather than getting upset with Scootaloo and not taking her fears seriously, she admitted to being scared as a filly, too. Wrapping her wing around Scootalo and becoming her mentor is one of the sweetest moments of the series.
2. Wonderbolts Academy: One word for this episode: balanced. Every facet of her character is balanced. Her confidence, cockiness, uncertainty, and reservations were all on display. Thank Lightning Dust, her foil and Dash w/o morals, for giving us the conflict needed to show us what makes Dash such a great character. She showed here how much she learned over the years, including from really terrible episodes like MDW, and that growth came into fruition when she rescued her friends, confronted Spitfire for all but rewarding recklessness in the Academy, and quit the Wonderbolts. Quitting the Academy and leaving her dream behind in favor of her friends and morals is her apex, and nothing else has come close.

Fluttershy:

1. Discordant Harmony: A Discord episode that brings Fluttershy's best. All of her development comes full circle with this episode. Her friendship with Discord feels genuine, and her care for him feels genuine. When she realized something was wrong, she said so immediately. As Discord started fading away for being "too normal," she knew what to do to fix it. Act like him and bring the "chaos" back into his dimension. Delivering the moral of how people with nothing in common can be great friends makes so much sense, considering how it all began.
2. Hurricane Fluttershy: I don't think much needs to be said about this one. Fluttershy's shyness is transformed into something far deeper she has to face, and beating back her crippling phobia remains a beautiful triumph.
3. Scare Master: Her most underrated episode. Natasha Levinger deserves a lot of credit for taking what was nothing more than a comic relief scene into something far deeper. What makes Nightmare Night so much fun? By pranking everypony. Fluttershy hates being pranked. This episode brings her out of her comfort zone by delivering one of the best pranks in the series. Nevertheless, it smartly doesn't fall for the cliché of having her like NMN after so long. She appreciates the effort, but isn't into it.

Spike:

1. The Times They Are A Changeling: Spike's best episode, and the better version of Bridle Gossip. Everyone's fear and hatred of changelings is absolutely justified. But as Spike gets to know Thorax, he knows at least one changeling doesn't agree with everything Chrysalis does. What makes Spike so great here? Because he's great when needed to be, vulnerable when needed to be, and will do the right thing. He makes mistakes without going out of character, learns from them. By risking his reputation in The Crystal Empire, he delivers his best moment of the series: singing A Changeling Can Change. Twilight trusted Spike, and others follow suit.
2. Gauntlet of Fire: While TMA plays AJ's strengths, so does GoF with Spike's. He needed a conflict to bring him that leadership, skill, and characterization that will have him be consistent and respectful to the audience. In a thorough critique of Dragon Quest's sexism and xenophobia, the episode teaches that folks from all walks of life can work in harmony and share knowledge with each other. Rather than stereotyping or glorifying masculinity or femininity, GoF shows how neither concept nor being are trapped in some type of box.

Starlight Glimmer:

1. Shadow Play: Not gonna spoil it. Will wait till it airs officially either next week on Treehouse TV or the week after that.
2. Uncommon Bond:
   Spoiler

   This episode forces us to look back into Starlight's friendship with Sunburst and how much things change or not. Rather than seeing what she has in common with SB, she witnesses how much he has in common with TS, Trixie, and Maud instead. This distance puts her in a spot she's very unfamiliar with. When her desperate attempt to find something in common fails, it crushes her. The ending with all five playing a lifesize game of Dragon Pit was cute and heartwarming.

    

3. All Bottled Up: Of the two S7 premiere episodes, this is the better half. Trixie may be a little annoying. However, look at this in her shoes. Trixie's probably the weakest magical pony in the series. Everything she does is based on illusion. For her to accomplish a very difficult piece of magic (transfiguration) followed by transportation are such huge accomplishments for her that it makes sense for her to be so childlike. OTOH, Starlight's problems with her anger literally take a toll on her, but no one can blame her for bottling it, either. She values Trixie so much that if she rages at her, there could be another major fallout. She's taking her lessons from Every Little Thing into account.

 

Edited October 18, 2017 by Dark Qiviut
Uncommon Bond aired one week early in Canada. Contained under a "spoiler" tag.

[cmarston1 5,951]

Twilight: Twilight's Kingdom, Amending Fences

Rarity: Rarity takes Manehatten, Canterlot Boutique

Fluttershy: Flutter Brutter

Rainbow Dash: Wonderbolts Academy, Parental Glideance

Pinkie Pie: Pinkie Pride, Too Many Pinkie Pies

Applejack: The Mane Attraction

 

 

[Thrond 3,257]

Wait, no, the best Pinkie episode is definitely Party of One. Can't believe I forgot. 

[SoberStarlight 906]

4 hours ago, Dark Qiviut said:

OK, I'm back!

Rarity:

1. Suited for Success: Leading up to here, season 1 wasn't very kind to her, and two episodes preceding this (Boast Busters, BG) were two of her worst in the entire series. This is the first to really push her at her bet, and it still holds up. Everything about how Rarity designs the clothing and dresses for her is an exercise of creativity. Her personality and lust for excellent quality rub onto everything she makes. So, when her friends pressure her (through clever usage of client archetypes) of what they want than trusting her judgment, things went haywire, concluding with her first of many famous breakdowns. Having the RM5 (with Opal's help) put together Rarity's dress was a great method to make up to her and show how much they care about her.
2. It Isn't the Mane Thing About You: This was a royal surprise into not only season 7, but the series altogether. There's a fine line between egotistical and self-confident; Rarity stays in the line of self-confidence. How she struts and waves her mane automatically commands attention, but she doesn't do it because it's all about her. It's about helping others. So, when she loses her mane to an accident, her self-confidence is tested for the first time. Everywhere, she acts invisible and internally fights back the command for attention. When her friends' desperate attempts for a proper wig fail, who can blame her for feeling she as both a character and brand are fads? But here's the one thing this episode does well: It doesn't make them act like jerks to her; Rarity tries to stay so disguised with hopes of not being recognized by the merchants. Secondly, her friends really shine, especially AJ; everyone tried to help her and stuck with her through her trauma. The ending (Rarity changing her mane to punk style) is one of the smartest and cleverest in the entire series.
3. Rarity Takes Manehattan: Rarity's best are incomplete without this classic. Everything started out a little slow, on the nose, and maybe a little clumsy. But once Suri showed up, everything was masterful. This episode forced her to deal with plagiarism, a complete disregard of her hard work and creativity, and response to it. Needless to say, Rarity didn't respond well. Because Suri took advantage of her biggest and best quality, she couldn't trust anyone, not even her friends, and their fight in the hotel room lead to excellent character moments, including realizing what she had done. On top of that, Coco Pommel was excellent here, and the moral of keeping your will and not changing who you are after being taken advantage of is one of the best in the show.

Applejack:

1. The Perfect Pear: I'm cheating a bit, since this is mostly an Apple family episode, but no list is complete, period, without the greatest MLP episode of all-time. Everything about TPP is so right. The Apple siblings' curiosity of what happened to the Apple/Pear feud, wanting to learn more about their parents' history, and going around Ponyville to talk to ones they were close with turns them into impactful beings in their lives. Burnt Oak and his brotherly relationship with Bright Mac, Mrs. Cake learning to bake with help of Buttercup makes them feel so whole. Unlike many episodes this series, TPP's more down to earth, and, boy, does it work so brilliantly. The relationship of Buttercup and Bright Mac is so organic that it feels like a real couple. "You're in My Head Like a Catchy Song" is the best song of S7 and maybe the entire series for being so heartwarming, beautiful, and tear-inducing. Felicia Day and William Shatner as BC and Grand Pear, respectively, were awesome.
2. The Mane Attraction: Season 5 ended on a really great two-episode run, and this is the back end of the two. For most of the series, AJ's stubbornness is portrayed negatively. TMA's the first and only one to use it as a strength. Applejack suspected something was wrong when Coloratura was told by Svengallop what to do and then performed music that was all style, no substance, and was more artificial than a Pepperidge Farm cookie. Yes, Svengallop helped her succeed, but she was successful and obviously not all that happy with maintaining a façade rather than showing us who the real her is. With help from her friends, she outs Sven as a manipulator and liar, and she shines best when performing from the heart.
3. Apple Family Reunion: The most underrated episode of the entire series. It's not the grandest episode of the series, but it doesn't need to be. In fact, that was a nice secondary moral: You don't need to go so overboard to make your time with your friends memorable. Rather than being stubborn, she wanted to make the reunion as grand as possible so those who may not make it (back) for a future reunion will have something to remember by.

Rainbow Dash:

1. Sleepless in Ponyville: This is a Scootaloo episode, but Rainbow Dash had one of her best characterizations in the entire series here. Everything about her is really balanced. Her ability to show off how cool she is without being too egotistical and proving her excellent flying abilities. How hilariously oblivious she can sometimes be. How she can tell one hell of a ghost story. But when shit got real, she was right there. Rather than getting upset with Scootaloo and not taking her fears seriously, she admitted to being scared as a filly, too. Wrapping her wing around Scootalo and becoming her mentor is one of the sweetest moments of the series.
2. Wonderbolts Academy: One word for this episode: balanced. Every facet of her character is balanced. Her confidence, cockiness, uncertainty, and reservations were all on display. Thank Lightning Dust, her foil and Dash w/o morals, for giving us the conflict needed to show us what makes Dash such a great character. She showed here how much she learned over the years, including from really terrible episodes like MDW, and that growth came into fruition when she rescued her friends, confronted Spitfire for all but rewarding recklessness in the Academy, and quit the Wonderbolts. Quitting the Academy and leaving her dream behind in favor of her friends and morals is her apex, and nothing else has come close.

Fluttershy:

1. Discordant Harmony: A Discord episode that brings Fluttershy's best. All of her development comes full circle with this episode. Her friendship with Discord feels genuine, and her care for him feels genuine. When she realized something was wrong, she said so immediately. As Discord started fading away for being "too normal," she knew what to do to fix it. Act like him and bring the "chaos" back into his dimension. Delivering the moral of how people with nothing in common can be great friends makes so much sense, considering how it all began.
2. Hurricane Fluttershy: I don't think much needs to be said about this one. Fluttershy's shyness is transformed into something far deeper she has to face, and beating back her crippling phobia remains a beautiful triumph.
3. Scare Master: Her most underrated episode. Natasha Levinger deserves a lot of credit for taking what was nothing more than a comic relief scene into something far deeper. What makes Nightmare Night so much fun? By pranking everypony. Fluttershy hates being pranked. This episode brings her out of her comfort zone by delivering one of the best pranks in the series. Nevertheless, it smartly doesn't fall for the cliché of having her like NMN after so long. She appreciates the effort, but isn't into it.

Spike:

1. The Times They Are A Changeling: Spike's best episode, and the better version of Bridle Gossip. Everyone's fear and hatred of changelings is absolutely justified. But as Spike gets to know Thorax, he knows at least one changeling doesn't agree with everything Chrysalis does. What makes Spike so great here? Because he's great when needed to be, vulnerable when needed to be, and will do the right thing. He makes mistakes without going out of character, learns from them. By risking his reputation in The Crystal Empire, he delivers his best moment of the series: singing A Changeling Can Change. Twilight trusted Spike, and others follow suit.
2. Gauntlet of Fire: While TMA plays AJ's strengths, so does GoF with Spike's. He needed a conflict to bring him that leadership, skill, and characterization that will have him be consistent and respectful to the audience. In a thorough critique of Dragon Quest's sexism and xenophobia, the episode teaches that folks from all walks of life can work in harmony and share knowledge with each other. Rather than stereotyping or glorifying masculinity or femininity, GoF shows how neither concept nor being are trapped in some type of box.

Starlight Glimmer:

1. Shadow Play: Not gonna spoil it. Will wait till it airs officially either next week on Treehouse TV or the week after that.
2. Uncommon Bond:
     Hide contents

   This episode forces us to look back into Starlight's friendship with Sunburst and how much things change or not. Rather than seeing what she has in common with SB, she witnesses how much he has in common with TS, Trixie, and Maud instead. This distance puts her in a spot she's very unfamiliar with. When her desperate attempt to find something in common fails, it crushes her. The ending with all five playing a lifesize game of Dragon Pit was cute and heartwarming.

    

3. All Bottled Up: Of the two S7 premiere episodes, this is the better half. Trixie may be a little annoying. However, look at this in her shoes. Trixie's probably the weakest magical pony in the series. Everything she does is based on illusion. For her to accomplish a very difficult piece of magic (transfiguration) followed by transportation are such huge accomplishments for her that it makes sense for her to be so childlike. OTOH, Starlight's problems with her anger literally take a toll on her, but no one can blame her for bottling it, either. She values Trixie so much that if she rages at her, there could be another major fallout. She's taking her lessons from Every Little Thing into account.

 

Woah. Hands down the best answer to the question lol. Definitely did your homework hahaha

[Sly 236]

Wow, by reading all these answers, I never accounted how many great episodes all the Mane 6 got in pretty much all the seasons.... it's such a shame that many people in the fandom (outside of this forum I mean) have forgot about them or are not even considering their most recent successes... 

[n1029 224]

This show hasn't ever "jumped the shark" in my mind. There have been episodes that haven't been great dating back to the first season and there've been terrific ones in every season leading up to this one.

[MontagnaMagica 307]

Twilight Sparkle: It's About Time
In which Twilight overanalyzes everything and is just a dork in general... with powerful magic.
Honorable mentions: Twilight's Kingdom, Amending Fences

Applejack: Pinkie Apple Pie
I second @Ivan The Adorable above. A great song to boot!
Honorable mentions: Leap of Faith, The Last Roundup

Pinkie Pie: Too Many Pinkie Pies
She has a good heart, and wanted to be there with her friends, but acted impulsively first, THEN actually thought about it. LOL!
Honorable mentions: Party Pooped, Party of One

Fluttershy: Discordant Harmony
Fluttershy really let her kindness shine here. She was, in fact, so kind, not even Discord saw it coming!
Honorable mentions: Keep Calm and Flutter on, Putting Your Hoof Down

Rarity: Suited for Success
It feels like the show started off on the wrong hoof with Rarity's characterization until this episode, when we finally saw the REAL Rarity; hard-working, and, of course, generous.
Honorable mentions: Sweet and Elite, Rarity Takes Manehattan

Rainbow Dash: Wonderbolts Academy
I'll second @Dark Qiviut above. Lightning Dust was also an awesome character.
Honorable mentions: Stranger Than Fan Fiction, Griffon the Brush Off

Starlight Glimmer: To Where and Back Again
Starlight finally put her past behind her and had to gain the confidence she needed in her inherent leadership skills. She doubted herself, and was relatable, but also showed very admirable qualities.
Honorable mentions: All Bottled Up, A Royal Problem

Spike: Gauntlet of Fire
Finally, Spike gets an episode and doesn't suddenly become the most clumsy/clueless/reckless being in Equestria! In other words, Spike was just like supporting character Spike, but as a main character.
Honorable mentions: The Crystal Empire, The Times They Are A Changeling

Edited October 20, 2017 by MontagnaMagica