An episode a day Marathon

[Dabmanz 2,128]

23 minutes ago, Cash In said:

I have no idea either. My Time Zone is all over the place. 

Maybe we could start using universal time?

23 minutes ago, DivineGlow1000 said:

I’m watching Luna Eclipsed! One of my favorite episodes!

Nice This an awesome episode.

[Quinch 1,119]

1 hour ago, Dabmanz said:

Are we up to sisterhooves social or is that in a few hours? I am not sure what timezone we are using.

I just go with whatever is in mine. 

[Quinch 1,119]

Ahh, Squeaky Belle. I wonder what happened to you?

This was an interesting episode. Got a glimpse of Rarity's parents before they went on vacation forever, Rarity being the sole character being in the wrong until Sweetie Belle got all spiteful, a single scene that raises so many questions about species social interaction in Equestria, Awkwardness Action Applejack,  and you knew there was going to be something fishy about the Social. Also, Prolonged Drama Rarity is always fun to watch.

 

[DonMaguz 1,023]

Party of One: Pinkie's invitation song was a great way to set up the episode. Her insistence in having a party the very next day to Gummy's birthday party was too much, even without Pinkie's birthday I would have understood if the RM5 wouldn't want to assist the post-party. Pinkie was so ridiculously funny and the RM5 had one of their best moments setting up Pinkie's surprise party.

The Best Night Ever: the best way to finish the GGG arc. Every character was incredible and gotta give it to Spike, the little guy was right all along. This season finale is like the best wines, it only gets better over time. 

The Return of Harmony: Discord's introduction and his incredibly funny chaotic magic was absolutely great! The discorded mane 6 was a brilliant plan to avoid being turn back into stone, but Celestia's trust on Twilight and her push to make her confident about the bonds she made was something Discord couldn't anticipate. This was my favorite season premiere until I watched The Cutie Map.

Lesson Zero: Twilight picturing herself back at magical kindergarten killed me. The RM5 dismissing her issue, only to jump in her defense were great. Celestia letting them defend her when she was clearly not angry, but worried about Twi was also a nice touch.

Luna Eclipsed: Another top tier episode with Twilight introducing her fangirlism towards Starswirl The Bearded, Luna having a main role, the introduction of Nightmare Night and Pipsqueak, the Royal Canterlot Voice! Absolutely fantastic episode.

Sisterhooves Social: Another memorable episode with the relationship between Sweetie Belle and Rarity. Loved Sweetie's playfulness, Rarity's realization, SB and AB fighting for AJ, Rarity being upset about AJ making her look so bad, and the plan to make Sweetie forgive Rarity including Rarity diving into a pool of mud (if interested, here's a beautiful fanfic-headcanon about how did Rarity managed to get inside the mud https://www.fimfiction.net/story/119011/1/a-muddy-hole/being-helpful). As a side note I must say this is one of the moments AJ's and Rarity's friendship started to become closer and true (before this ep they seemed to be friends by association).

Edited November 11, 2018 by DonMaguz

[Dabmanz 2,128]

12 hours ago, DonMaguz said:

Party of One: Pinkie's invitation song was a great way to set up the episode. Her insistence in having a party the very next day to Gummy's birthday party was too much, even without Pinkie's birthday I would have understood if the RM5 wouldn't want to assist the post-party. Pinkie was so ridiculously funny and the RM5 had one of their best moments setting up Pinkie's surprise party.

The Best Night Ever: the best way to finish the GGG arc. Every character was incredible and gotta give it to Spike, the little guy was right all along. This season finale is like the best wines, it only gets better over time. 

The Return of Harmony: Discord's introduction and his incredibly funny chaotic magic was absolutely great! The discorded mane 6 was a brilliant plan to avoid being turn back into stone, but Celestia's trust on Twilight and her push to make her confident about the bonds she made was something Discord couldn't anticipate. This was my favorite season premiere until I watched The Cutie Map.

Lesson Zero: Twilight picturing herself back at magical kindergarten killed me. The RM5 dismissing her issue, only to jump in her defense were great. Celestia letting them defend her when she was clearly not angry, but worried about Twi was also a nice touch.

Luna Eclipsed: Another top tier episode with Twilight introducing her fangirlism towards Starswirl The Bearded, Luna having a main role, the introduction of Nightmare Night and Pipsqueak, the Royal Canterlot Voice! Absolutely fantastic episode.

Sisterhooves Social: Another memorable episode with the relationship between Sweetie Belle and Rarity. Loved Sweetie's playfulness, Rarity's realization, SB and AB fighting for AJ, Rarity being upset about AJ making her look so bad, and the plan to make Sweetie forgive Rarity including Rarity diving into a pool of mud (if interested, here's a beautiful fanfic-headcanon about how did Rarity managed to get inside the mud https://www.fimfiction.net/story/119011/1/a-muddy-hole/being-helpful). As a side note I must say this is one of the moments AJ's and Rarity's friendship started to become closer and true (before this ep they seemed to be friends by association).

Very well writen I stopped posting here because I am not sure if I can write an explanation of my thoughts on every episode I watch is it cheating if I watch the episode and just comment Just watched (Insert episode here) with a check mark?

[Preatorian60 45]

Oh this sounds like a good time to dust off the DVD's I don't know if Ill have the self control to limit myself to just one episode a day though

[DonMaguz 1,023]

2 hours ago, Dabmanz said:

Very well writen I stopped posting here because I am not sure if I can write an explanation of my thoughts on every episode I watch is it cheating if I watch the episode and just comment Just watched (Insert episode here) with a check mark?

I only write down whatever I remember about the episodes and if I liked it or not. I don't think there's 'cheating' in anything you write as long as you're writing about the topic (the marathon).

Writing "just watched X, I liked it" or "just watched Y, I think it was boring" is enough if that's what you feel is everything you have to say about the episode at the moment you write your comment, there's really nothing to it.

[CypherHoof 26,479]

By my reckoning, Monday was the Cutie Pox giving us Best Pet for today - a great episode and of course the source of the "nopony can stop me" gif...

Well, and the boop one, but not going to go find that one

But of course the star of the episode was Tank, who despite having NONE of the traits Dashie claimed to want, had unflagging determination and expressed Dashie's own Element of Loyalty - in their own way of course. They also appear to have the same level of overpoweredness as the mane 6 themselves, given the size and implied weight of the rock they can lift with just their head.... and a quizzical "yey?" from Fluttershy to finish on before Dashie writes her letter to the Princess about the lesson she learned

[CypherHoof 26,479]

So yey, another great episode with mare-do-well!

There was a fairly upbeat MDW-inspired theme on youtube when I first watched this, so kinda bummed that I can't find it now. ah well....

[CypherHoof 26,479]

Everypony knows greed induced bigness is TOTALLY different

[Them's Seeing Ponies 282]

"Secret of My Excess" is downright hilarious. Despite the inherently bizarre nature of the focal concept, the episode pulls the comedy angle to prevent its weirdness from reaching an overt level, leading to some of the best gags in the series ("I'm not giving him cake, I'm ASSAULTING HIM WITH CAKE!" and Spike's rampage through Ponyville a la an over-the-top Godzilla homage being the highlights). Embarking upon this marathon has definitely shone light on the reasoning behind M.A Larson's popularity with the fandom circa 2011-2015; his absurd self-referential humour has the air of an energetic self-parody (even more so than the remainder of S1 and S2, which watch similar to a lighthearted parody of typical kids' TV shows, a trait which I feel the show has shed over its run), which is a blast to watch when intermingled with the Craig McCracken-esque charm of S1 and 2. 

Edited November 16, 2018 by Them's Seeing Ponies

[Dabmanz 2,128]

I might post to this marathon in a couple of days haven't been on the forums much lately.

[CypherHoof 26,479]

32 minutes ago, Dabmanz said:

I might post to this marathon in a couple of days haven't been on the forums much lately.

Welcome to chime in whenever you want of course - Today should be S2E11, Hearths Warming Eve

[CypherHoof 26,479]

/Family Appreciation Day/ is an episode that I don't often look at, but that's a shame as it is a good episode. But... how old IS Granny Smith anyhow? given she doesn't look to be much younger than Filthy Rich's Grandfather in the (sepia) flashbacks.

Also nice to be reminded that Filthy Rich isn't as much of an ass as his wife and daughter - while proud of his status, he is also aware of how he got there, and that he is part of the Ponyville community.

[CypherHoof 26,479]

Poor Pinkie, left to care for two super-powered foals. Ah well, at least the practice will come in handy for when she meets Flurry Heart

[CypherHoof 26,479]

So, today is the Last Roundup - not an episode I particularly enjoy, but at least I have the original version (with derpy being derpy) rather than the nerfed and more politically correct version on my DVDs.

[CypherHoof 26,479]

(is there only me still doing this?)

I see we are now up to S2E18 - which brings us the awesome Smile song with pinkie

[Them's Seeing Ponies 282]

I'm still watching - considering that I assumed that there were no breaks in the schedule, I'm currently at "Hurricane Fluttershy" (fortunately one of the show's most monumental achievements). 

[CypherHoof 26,479]

36 minutes ago, Them's Seeing Ponies said:

I'm still watching - considering that I assumed that there were no breaks in the schedule, I'm currently at "Hurricane Fluttershy" (fortunately one of the show's most monumental achievements). 

Couple ahead of me then. The end of S2 is much stronger than the middle, and I am just coming out of the "meh" episodes now.

I do agree, in terms of Fluttershy's back history and forward development, Hurricane Fluttershy is a key episode. I also feel the "wingpower meter" is not well calibrated for how Fluttershy expresses her wingpower though; Even before her training, she was able to maintain a stable hover while equipped with a cart full of frogs...

[Cash In 21,483]

...I'm behind. Well, I've watched Episodes 5 to 15 from Sesson 2, since my last post. The Mysterious Mare Do Well is often described as one of the worst episodes in the show, but I didn't mind it all that much. It's probably the weakest episode between Episode 5 and 15, but I don't hate it. The other episodes...are very consistent with their quality, in my opinion. The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 being my personal favourite of the lot. I found it to be equally silly and intriguing, which is probably why I enjoyed it so much. To be fair, I can relate a lot to Rainbow Dash's horrible luck in that episode, which gives me more appreciation for it. I really enjoyed most of these episodes, which is weird, as I remembered them being 'Meh'. Actually, I think my opinion on Season 2 has drastically changed - although, I'll wait until I finsh the season to confirm this.

Edited August 5, 2019 by Cash In

[CypherHoof 26,479]

14 hours ago, Cash In said:

Holy crap, I'm behind. Well, I've watched Episodes 5-15 from Sesson 2, since my last post. The Mysterious Mare Do Well is often described as one of the worst episodes in the show, but I didn't mind it all that much. It's probably the weakest episode between Episode 5 and 15, but I don't hate it.

I quite like that episode

Just like the later Hurricane Fluttershy (or early S1 Applebuck Season) is about a mane character recognising and overcoming a character flaw, It took an intervention by the rest of the (massively OP) mane characters to break though Dashie's ever increasing self-aggrandizement - with some truely epic facial expressions from Dashie as she is constantly one-upped by her rival (I do miss that in the later seasons)

The fact is, other than the fact her Wingpower is much higher than normal for a pegasus pony, she has few natural advantages (which is fine; her place in the Wonderbolts is earned by hard work, and early seasons show her almost constantly training to earn that place) and even then, while high, isn't unlimited - look how she is smashed THOUGH the ground by a not massively heavy weight in Last Roundup - in this episode, she was able to support the falling balcony, which looks to be even heavier, so her training IS paying off, just slowly. Which leads me to wonder if it was actaully her wrong approach during the out-of-control-cart incident - trying to stop it with her hooves, instead of pushing against it with wingpower - that led to her failure there.

Quote

The other episodes...are very consistent with their quality, in my opinion. The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 being my personal favourite of the lot. I found it to be equally silly and intriguing, which is probably why I enjoyed it so much.

There are a fair few fun moments in there, some of which are obviously just sight gags (Fluttershy getting embarrassed at her nakedness for example, when the mane 6 are almost constantly naked in public anyhow) but follows of a piece with the above - AJ's pride and stubbornness, arrogance as to the superiority of the Apple family product and farm, and so forth led to a pair of scammers being able to get her to gamble HER ENTIRE FARM against, well, nothing. F&F didn't even use their own apples.

In many ways, the actual competition was an interesting metaphor in itself - it literally pitched the "traditional" methods of the Apple family against a mechanized production system, and clearly the mechanized solution was faster and no worse; to match it, the Apples had to scale up production drastically, which as their method was people-heavy (hence the rest of the mane 6 could pitch in) rather than mechanics heavy (it would have taken significant time for F&F to construct a second SSCS6K) they could do faster.  F&F won by increasing thoughput at the expense of quality, which is a tactic we see in the real world to meet a sudden surge in demand.

I do note one thing though; the Pony world seems to be deliberately Artisan rather than mechanized; its not like they don't KNOW how to build motorized equipment (the crane during Mare do Well for example) they just... don't. It has been suggested that this is just Ponyville, rather than the world in general (we see in S7 for example that cities have Times Square style electronic billboards) but it does seem that hoof-made is seen as superior.  Given this allows individual skills to shine and increases employment opportunities for everypony, I can see the cultural advantages - even Filthy Rich is a much nicer character in Ponyville than in EqG.

 

Quote

To be fair, I can relate a lot to Rainbow Dash's horrible luck in that episode, which gives me more appreciation for it. I really enjoyed most of these episodes, which is weird, as I remembered them being 'Meh'. Actually, I think my opinion on Season 2 has drastically changed. Although, I'll wait until I finsh the season to confirm this.

The evolution of Pony though the seasons is complex; While the early seasons were clearly pitched at a younger audience (simpler, less cluttered scenes, little moral ambiguity (well, not acknowledged anyhow) it is often said that art holds up a mirror to life, and Pony excels at this; when you look at the early seasons, they are full of analogues to real-world scenarios anypony might encounter.

Ok, to try and catch up with TSP, gonna watch Hoof Down AND Ponyville Confidential today

Edited November 25, 2018 by CypherLink

[Them's Seeing Ponies 282]

 Compelling analysis from Cypher. The artisan nature of pony culture is semi-inconsistent throughout the show's run (particularly with the increasing number of more anachronistic/modernistic elements (such as a supermarket analogue and the electronic billboards) which begin to creep into the later seasons) but its prominence during the early seasons is a major contributor to its charm - Ponyville is a representation of what an 'idealized' small-town society is considered to be in our culture, yet not every thorn is removed from the depiction, leaving the main cast to grapple with relatable issues on a recurrent basis (Ponyville Confidential  is an excellent example of this thesis). Later seasons would expand the scope of single episodes' narratives to encompass the discovery of magical MacGuffins through thematic means, an ongoing (former) antagonist redemption arc and grandiosely styled adventure plots (particularly in the case of the Daring Do episodes and "A Royal Problem", which combines the latter two elements), but the focus on the progression of the mane six's surprisingly human struggles through a world unlike (in the use of magic and  different social structure/protocols) our own (and yet familiar in multiple facets) is an angle of the show that I feel has diminished greatly during the show's run (and is executed in a somewhat lacklustre/banal way when it does emerge - see "It Isn't the Mane Thing About You").

S1-2 were definitely aimed at a younger target audience than the later seasons (particularly S8, owing to Nicole Dubuc's trademark collected and ambitious writing style), but they utilized their restraints in a far more backhandedly sly way than many give them credit for. The focal reason why the Faust-produced episodes carry such a different general overtone to the more recent seasons is due to their different priorities; the main focus of the Faust seasons being to employ very genuine storytelling in the structure of a lighthearted (not sardonically written as per Haber's style, although a few M.A Larson episodes from the era do tread into this) lampooning of kids' TV. Think about it - the show is set primarily in an 'idealistic' municipality governed by magic and different social norms (as per many of its lower-quality contemporaries), yet the world itself is portrayed in a developed and earnest manner and the characters within it are treated with more dignity and are generally more well-rounded 'human' (not tall, fleshy or two-legged though) personalities than many shows of its genre (fantasy girls' cartoon) at the time (not to mention the smaller self-referential gags such as the 'random falling objects' cartoon cliché in Feeling Pinkie Keen being humourously and subversively attributed to incompetent pegasi movers), and it's this type of contrast (where the show in its early days could, by all accounts, have failed under different hands, but its elements work due to Faust/Renzetti's approach to the material (defined by a streamlined and lightly self-referential/subversive sensibility)) which create the S1-2 'charm'. As much as I appreciate some of the later seasons' endeavours towards more ambitious and complex material (even if there isn't exactly a 100% success rate, although the earlier seasons boasted a number of dud episodes as well), their general overtones are less entertaining to me in that they prefer to play more emotional moments and complexity in a less deft manner, leading to the occasional sensation that they are trying too hard to convey their intended message.

Anyways, Ponyville Confidential  was another hit from season 2 (no small feat for a season filled with them) and a nice nostalgia trip (being one of the first episodes I recall the initial fandom buzz for in full) - with only two (or three, technically) Renzetti-edited episodes remaining, I must confess that I will be missing the warm fuzziness and relatability of the show's earliest days; however, with Discord's reformation and Twilight's infamous ascension (I guess we've come, such a looong, loooong waaay) approaching in two weeks now, the show's going to get fairly... interesting nonetheless (I'm not knocking on S4, considering that it's home to some of the show's most impactful and insightful episodes, but it's incredible how rapidly the series progressed from Family Appreciation Day and A Friend in Deed  to the likes of the more bombastic and action-packed Daring Don't  and Power Ponies).

 

Edited November 25, 2018 by Them's Seeing Ponies

[CypherHoof 26,479]

I find Ponyville confidential uncomfortable to watch/rewatch; Highlights what an ass Diamond Tiara was back in the earlier seasons - and at first glance, undercuts the whole "well, my mother made me do it" narrative from her reformation episode... and yet, does it?

A common comment on Diamond Tiara's reformation was that, while her mother was pushing her to be ambitious, her mother didn't force her to be as obnoxious to the CMC as she was. But by the same light, at least initially she didn't force the CMC to go down the path they did - and the Mane 6 (except Twi, of course) were lapping it up - provided it wasn't about them. So the real culprit of this particular episode is approval seeking, in its various aspects.

The approval of those placed in authority over them (Diamond Tiara, in this case); the approval of their peers (the rest of the school fillies reading the paper) and the approval of those they respected and admired - their sisters (and/or almost sister in the Scoots/Dashie case of course). It takes courage to defy such pressure, and while the CMC do so at the end of Ponyville Confidential, that was only after they had been "outed" and ostracized by the Mane 6.

But the parallels are there, with Diamond Tiara's isolation, and the support of the CMC to help her find a new path in life (although given the overwhelming pressure in Ponyville to conform to the example of the Mane 6, its surprising she held out as long as she did, mother or not)

There are parallels to the situation in Hoof Down too, of course; Fluttershy was being a doormat, as is common for the early seasons, and was targeted as an "easy mark" by Iron will and his goats. Given a few successes (and, early on, public praise for her new aggressive stance from Pinkie and Rarity) things quickly got out of control - and of course given she is, like all the Mane 6, massively overpowered (I still think the scene of her beating the snot out of a bear in Lesson Zero is an amusing example, especially given the way Iron Will bellows at her) this is not a healthy situation.

This is of course a topic revisited in the more recent Fake it until you make it episode, where Fluttershy finds success by assuming a persona unlike her usual demure self, then lets that run out of control until she alienates everyone around her.

So yeah; both are key episodes in character development (for the CMC, for Diamond Tiara, and for Fluttershy) but not comfortable ones to watch.

 

[CypherHoof 26,479]

14 hours ago, Bas said:

Of course it would make sense if I not only watched this thread but also watch the episodes.

But that would be smart.

Anyways, if anypony wants to watch an ep, within the marathon or not, feel free to hit me u p (esp on Discord). I am just too bad at starting things myself.

Well, today I will be watching It's about time and MMMystery on the Friendship Express (which of course ends with a classic shot of 'tia and cake )

Feel free to watch the same, and comment later

[CypherHoof 26,479]

15 hours ago, Bas said:

I usually can't get myself up for it. Wnat to poke me at discord and watch at the same time?

I suspect our difference in timezones would be an issue there, really - given you tend to post while I am asleep or at work

Today's combo is exciting though - Dragon Quest, and the Finale, A Canterlot Wedding