Scoring Each Season of Friendship is Magic (Season 2)

[TheAnimationFanatic 3,543]

As with the first season, I wanted to get a pulse on the overall consensus of season 2 of Friendship is Magic.

[Megas 27,066]

One of the weaker seasons imo, while I do like it I do think people hype it up too much. It has some real classics but it was also home to some of the first truly weak moments in the show as a well as my introduction to the worst fandom drama ever

[TheAnimationFanatic 3,543]

8 minutes ago, This Whomps said:

One of the weaker seasons imo, while I do like it I do think people hype it up too much. It has some real classics but it was also home to some of the first truly weak moments in the show as a well as my introduction to the worst fandom drama ever

For me, Season 2 is an improvement over Season 1. It improves the animation, and its highs surpass the highs of Season 1.

However, the duds in Season 2 are much worse than the duds of Season 1. (Dragon Quest, MMDW, etc.)

[Here No Longer 5,270]

Season 2 was quite good. It started off really well with perhaps the best pilot episode out of every season, and it stayed good for the most part. There are still some stinkers, but I found Season 2 to overall be a strong season even by the standards of FiM. 

[Them's Seeing Ponies 282]

S2 is definitely my favorite of the series. I concur that the duds were terrible ("MMDW" speaks for itself, "The Cutie Pox" was essentially a 22-minute compilation of nothingness (although I did love Pinkie's confession in the third act), "Putting Your Hoof Down" had potential and a few great comedic moments courtesy of Iron Will and Pinkie but is soured by an uncharacteristically uncomfortable atmosphere by FiM standards and "Dragon Quest" was egregious thematically, although I personally wouldn't say it's as horrible as others perceive it), but the average quality of the better episodes, including the season's stratospheric highs (the surprisingly irreverent and well-structured "Return of Harmony", the hilarious "Lesson Zero", the touching and subtle "Sisterhooves Social", the incredibly satisfying (I can only call an episode hilarious in so many ways) "Last Roundup", "Read It and Weep", the sheer comedic fiasco of "It's About Time", the rock-solid "Hurricane Fluttershy"... the list goes on) is just that good. It's almost difficult at times to determine why I enjoy certain episodes of the season as much as I do, but I suspect that the general tone of S2, although it doesn't always show through that consistently, is what appeals to me - the sharper wit and greater outward nuance of the series, when compounded with the innocence, charm and Craig McCracken-esque comedy of S1, lead to a season that feels like an edgier and more ambitious version of the previous season. Definitely a worthy season of animated TV in general.

On a side note, returning to the earlier seasons recently has definitely caused me to miss earlier-season Pinkie more than I expected. She seems to be more... human in the Faust seasons (in that she seems to have a greater degree of volume control and behaves more akin to an actual functioning individual as opposed to a random cartoon gag machine with major emotional fragility/canyons as she seems to have become in later seasons at times) and her cartoonish antics are played off as stemming from her optimistic and quirky/fun-loving demeanour as opposed to being almost delusionally/religiously wacky as she is from S4 onwards (which tends to be more overbearing by comparison). 

[Thrond 3,257]

I feel this season took all of the show's good ideas and polished them, as well as added more complexity without betraying the show's initial charms. There are aspects of future seasons which I prefer, but overall this remains my favourite - albeit, I don't think this show has a single unreservedly great season. In this season, even the episodes I like less tend to retain a base level of humour, and entire plots are memorable to me rather than just isolated moments. It's also where the show becomes more focused on specific insecurities of the characters, and it contains a disproportionate number not only of my favourite episodes of all time, but also of the episodes I think are great in general. Much of the humour is slightly more intense than the prior season, and it was willing to go a bit darker while still being consistently lighthearted and silly. Also, because the character personalities had solidified over the first season, but because those personalities had not yet been explored in extensive detail, it seems the writers had a fairly easy time finding novel scenarios. Episodes could have fairly predictable setups while still feeling fresh. Mostly though, this is where the show reached the ideal balance between complexity and simplicity for me, not to mention between silliness and surprising depth. 

[imawesome 449]

20 hours ago, TheAnimationFana said:

For me, Season 2 is an improvement over Season 1. It improves the animation, and its highs surpass the highs of Season 1.

However, the duds in Season 2 are much worse than the duds of Season 1. (Dragon Quest, MMDW, etc.)

Couldn't have said it better myself. 

Season 2 surpassed Season 1 with its great episodes (trust me, there were many) but basically all the episodes in Season 2 were strongly good or strongly bad. 

Edited January 3, 2019 by imawesome

[TheAnimationFanatic 3,543]

@Them's Seeing Ponies As someone who thinks that the later seasons are better than the first three, I WILL concede that the early seasons handled Pinkie Pie better and more consistently. She's still entertaining, but her standalone episodes have fluctuated in quality. Ranging from great ( "Pinkie Pride", "Rock Solid Friendship") to terrible ("Yakity-Sax").

[FirePuppy 627]

It was fine, but Applejack literally did nothing in that season.

[Sparklefan1234 161,880]

Season 2 gave us "Sisterhooves Social" (My favorite Rarity episode.), 

"Return of Harmony Part 1&2" (The only time I've enjoyed Discord's antics.) &

"A Canterlot Wedding Parts 1&2" (When Twilight tears up at the end of part one...)

Edited February 13, 2019 by Sparklefan1234

[Dashy 4 Ever 4,832]

I loved it dearly. Anything with Ponys I'm giving and A plus.

[RulesofRarity 489]

I definitely still view S2 as the show’s best season as it’s the one I’ve enjoyed  watching the most upon rewatches. It’s immediately clear from the premiere that S2 is a step up from a solid first season. 

Discord has the opportunity to be a far more enjoyable antagonist than Nightmare Moon got to be due to the world and the characters already being very well established by this point. The rest of the season echoes this improvement following with Lesson Zero breaking away from S1’s rigid structure.

The more I think about it, I actually think i adore S2 so much because of Twilight. She was no longer artificially inserted into every episode which allowed her to truly shine. From her being pushed to her literal breaking point in Lesson Zero, to her being the only pony in Ponyville giving Luna a second chance. She’s so good in this season that it makes me sad thinking about the mess she eventually becomes post S5.

S2 isn’t perfect which is evident in episodes like the Cutie Pox and Pinkie’s terrible characterisation but it is ultimately an enjoyable season, free of MLP’s later crutches like endless villain redemptions and characters like Starlight Glimmer. 

Edited January 5, 2019 by RulesofRarity

[bigbertha 410]

I like this season. I don't think it's quite as good as I thought it was before, but it still has a great number of good episodes and the entire season is still very charming. That season 1 charm is not dead yet. Sure, there are quite a few episodes that sour the experience (Dragon Quest, A Friend in Deed, Putting Your Hoof Down), but there are even more fantastic episodes to make up for it (Lesson Zero, Hearth's Warming Eve, The Last Roundup, etc.).

[TheAnimationFanatic 3,543]

Season 2 for me is one of the best, yet also least consistent, seasons for me. It's funnier and more emotional than Season 1 and has some of the show's best outings. However, I say "least consistent" because its lows are much deeper and more frequent than the lows of Season 1, which makes it not as good as S4, S5, or S7. 

[TheAnimationFanatic 3,543]

Season 2 has its issues, but it gets much more right than wrong. 

[Rushing cash 824]

This season has higher peaks then season 1 but also worse episodes, this season they started to experiment and try new things, some worked, some not so much. Season 2 had the best start for a season so far in my opinion, the premier was great, lesson zero was amazing and luna eclipsed wad great to, episodes 5 &6 were good as well. The finale was the best one so far, hopefully season 9 can eclipse it. Great season, it was not perfect but had much more good then bad. 

[bigbertha 410]

This is the peak of the show. Almost every episode is enjoyable, it has the most 10/10 episodes of any season, the visuals are still charming and great, and there are only 4 episodes I don't like. By this point, the staff really knew these characters well and got as much comedy and entertainment out of them as possible. 

This season may have my least favorite of the first three seasons (Dragon Quest), but each of the other 3 weaker have their own things to enjoy and aren't that annoying the get through.

[Buttonmash1973 1,024]

S2 is my favorite as Youtube had full episodes, it was the fandom heydays and I was a newbie under the S2 opening.

[Them's Seeing Ponies 282]

Still basking in those memories of 'Haters Gonna Hate' memes, the heydays of Rainbow Dash Presents , Odyssey Eurobeat and FiW and tuning the broadband box precariously every Saturday in search of reception for the Hub...

[Landi 597]

Season 2 is by far my favorite season. To me, this season is what defines MLP. It had Great aesthetics, a charming feel, amazing character building, good world building, and well written episodes. This season truly is the peak of the show.

The great character building, writing, and overall charming feel are what truly characterize this season. First starting with one of the best two-parters, this season had a good start. Then, it followed that up with many amazing episodes. Out of these amazing episodes is my favorite episode in the series: Hurricane Fluttershy. Then, the season ends with another fun two-parter. Season 1 was already an amazing season, and this one was even better. The earlier seasons just had superior character building, writing, and organization than the newer ones, and Season two is a prime example of that.

So yeah, if you couldn't tell I really enjoy season two. 

 

[TheAnimationFanatic 3,543]

1 hour ago, Landi72 said:

Season 2 is by far my favorite season. To me, this season is what defines MLP. It had Great aesthetics, a charming feel, amazing character building, good world building, and well written episodes. This season truly is the peak of the show.

The great character building, writing, and overall charming feel are what truly characterize this season. First starting with one of the best two-parters, this season had a good start. Then, it followed that up with many amazing episodes. Out of these amazing episodes is my favorite episode in the series: Hurricane Fluttershy. Then, the season ends with another fun two-parter. Season 1 was already an amazing season, and this one was even better. The earlier seasons just had superior character building, writing, and organization than the newer ones, and Season two is a prime example of that.

So yeah, if you couldn't tell I really enjoy season two. 

 

Season 7 is my personal favorite. 

[Astralshy 23,573]

Season two took what Season One and improved on it.

I was already convinced to watch and end the MLP:FiM show when I hit season two in Dec2020. But then in the premiere of s2 I was exposed to Discord. As a long time Star Trek fan I recognized his VA immediately and I went nuts over it xD Besides this person the premiere of s2 is also wonderful done I got even more hooked. The other episodes in this season increased this even more .. Lesson Zero, Luna eclipsed, May the Pest win, Read it and Weep it, a Friend in Deed, It's about Time, Hurricane Fluttershy, Ponyville Confidential ... I know I haven't list all episodes. Don't think I would dislike the episodes I haven't listed. In fact I think s2 kept the quality for much more episodes on the same level as s1 did. Which is understandable cause s1 was still developing the show. And then of course there is 

A Canterlot Wedding

which sealed the deal. I could not believe back what I saw. No episode of such a show has a reason to be that good - this goes for the song in this episode as well.

You see I love season 2 even more than season 1 :>