Your Favorite MLP Episode: Round Four Series

[SuperUltimateBrony 351]

A few of you noticed this as well. And I agree with you. I am thinking about restarting this match and making sure that only one vote per IP. However, that option would only limit the people who have accounts to vote. Something is suspicious about how this match happened. Still, CMC is only winning by five votes. It's not like it's a dominating lead. And there's still six hours to vote.

Edited January 27, 2013 by SuperUltimateBrony

[TheMarkz0ne 962]

This is a really hard choice. But I am gonna have to go with Return to Harmony part 2. Cutie Mark Chronicles is also great. It's awesome that we see how the mane 6 got their marks. It was more character development for the main heroines. But return to harmony part 2 was simply epic and awe inspiring. Discord is an amazing villain. He's an evil looney tune character. His defeat at the end was great since discord really did himself in for letting himself get turned to stone. So yeah Return to Harmony part 2 is the best. It's still my favorite episode of all time.

[Zygen 6,065]

Bah this is a really hard one.. I'm gonna have to go and say Cutie mark Chronicles, just because it gives so much amazing backstory, Return of Harmony overall was a really great episode, I just find it akward having only half of an episode to vote for I guess.

 

Anyways, by a hair I'll give this to Cutie mark Chronicles, because of all the backstory.

[Scootalove 10,684]

I'd have to say Cutie Mark Chronicles, because it had the backstories of the cutie marks of the Mane 6.

Even though, the Return of Harmony part 2 showed how Discord is best villain and well ~Chaotic Discord~ would well agree with me.

But, I have to vote CMC.

[NavelColt 22,877]

The Cutie Mark Chronicles was a very good episode. It had all the backgrounds of the Mane Six and how they got their cutie marks. Which was by best pony getting HER cutie mark.

 

But you cannot win against Discord. Nope.

[SuperUltimateBrony 351]

Round Four Match Three

See the bracket here: puu.sh/1TjZp

 

Vote here: http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/203-cartoons-and-animation/65302383

Each day I will post one topic pitting two episode of MLPFiM against eachother. It's a contest to see which episode is the most liked by the board.

Today's Matchup: Too Many Pinkie Pies VS Sweet And Elite

Yesterday's Matchup: The Return of Harmony Part 2 defeated The Cutie Mark Chronicles (45-37)

Edited January 28, 2013 by SuperUltimateBrony

[Feather Gem 965]

Too Many Pinkie Pies:

Hilarious.  Utterly hilarious.

 

Sweet And Elite:

One of the best songs ever in it.

 

(yeah...I didn't make many points)

 

I had to go with Too Many Pinkie Pies

[duidamasterXD 9,626]

It's late and I'm lazy so I'm snipping what I said about Too Many Pinkie Pies from the last thread since it still applies perfectly.

 

While Sweet and Elite did develop Rarity fairly well and had one of my favorite songs in the series I have to vote for Too Many Pinkie Pies. It actually portrayed a surprisingly deep inner conflict for an episode that I thought was going to be nothing but chaos and comedy. The visuals were great, and we even got to see my favorite tortoise again! Success! Overall though, this episode really went above and beyond what I expected from it and reminded me of why I love this show . It has a special meaning to me. Plus, development for my second favorite character is always nice.

 

In any case though, I feel that Too Many Pinkies really is the stronger offering and it is one of my favorites of season three and the entire series.

[Antismurf9001 1,271]

Sweet and Elite still kind of irritates me, so I easily chose Too Many Pinkie Pies.  I also thought that TMPP was just a really fun episode, and it had a good moral behind it too.

[An Old Head 4,815]

Anyone who knows me at all will know what I'm going to say. Too Many Pinkie Pies. This is when my passion for the episode comes pouring in.
 

Where should I start? When I say this is my favourite episode, it's because of its breathtaking appeal not just to me, not just to fans, but also to its target audience. The best episode should work on all levels, all audiences, without fault from one of them staining the other. Too Many Pinkie Pies does this clear as crystal - the wacky capers of ton upon ton of Pinkie Pie clones is guaranteed to make its target audience smile their faces off, as well as avalanche us Bronies with an onslaught of our favourite comic relief and supposed evil murderer And, of course, with Pinkie Pie being my absolute favourite pony, you couldn't make me any happier than when you chuck forty bouncing balls of perfect into an episode. Especially when you intertwine a very smart, non-insulting piece of philosophy into it - whether your true self is definite amongst tons of duplicates.

 

Although small, people liked to prod disapproval at how the third episode of the new season didn't allow the establishment of something for the following episodes to build up for a season finale. I'll say it right away - who cares? In a cartoon, you go with the flow and allow the small amount of continuity the show does have to tie everything together. Too Many Pinkie Pies was absolutely no issue on that part. In fact, given that the episode followed the "gateway" episode known as The Crystal Empire, the amount of continuity in the episode is very opportunely placed. With Too Many Pinkie Pies being, as I've already said, a crazy and spirited episode, it allows in enough moral continuity to create a much more complex web of ways in which you can mull over philosophy raised, or sympathise with desperate situations - or simply just enjoy a personality trait from one episode becoming apparent in another. For instance, we know from A Friend In Deed that nothing pleases Pinkie Pie more than making other ponies feel happy - a very admirable trait. A direct transition of this appears in Too Many Pinkies, where she wants to make all of her friends smile by accompanying all of them. I really do like this about the episode - it shows that the writers have grips on Pinkie's character and know exactly how she would deal with things. Continuity also displays itself in other ways - we see Dash is still enjoying her Daring Do books, we see (or hear) that Pinkie Pie has a grandmother, we see the reapparance of Meadow Song and Tank. I really do like this because it carries over and cements the Season 2 presence of timeline. It even does it across generations (three words: Pinkie's G3 face).
 

Another thing which really makes this episode work wonders for me is its similarity to the very first episodes of Friendship is Magic. This episode would have fit in snugly next to Griffon The Brush Off, or The Ticket Master. I say this because those episodes went to establish certain places and customs in Ponyville and had the outdoor green-lawn spirit. I say this (I say "I say this" too much) because the young age in which we enjoyed cartoons is the same time where the outdoors was much more exciting for us than it is now. All the outdoor events, clear skies, with many different areas of the show shot in (the middle of town, the lake, Sweet Apple Acres, the Everfree Forest, the grass fields) completely brought this back to us. It was so superbly done. I guess it stands out much more here because Season 3's very much improved animation made the settings feel alive, also owing to more dynamic colouring - especially at the place where Twilight is doing the spell on the apple. Either way, I feel that it ultimately comes together as a wonderful helping of true My Little Pony finish.
 

The actual focus of the episode, the idea of cloning, is completely cliché of course. But again, who cares? Too Many Pinkie Pies openly embraces this cliché, giving an enormous  "Screw you, I'm My Little Pony!", and the choice of pony was absolutely bang on. There are so many opportunities for fun (Fun! fun! fun! fun! fun!) and ridiculous events to be had with clones of Pinkies. What do people like to criticise about this? They say that Dave Polsky, the writer, didn't tackle the ethical issues that the episode raised well enough - I think completely the opposite. The amount of ideas and discussion points were perfectly balanced, so that the older audience would have their interests raised while the younger audience wouldn't be flustered with confusion when they just want to enjoy their pastel ponies (like me ).
 

In addition, the application of the cloning idea to My Little Pony in itself is brilliant. Not only can every single Mane 6 pony play a pretty part in an episode centered around Pinkie Pie (another thing that adds to the episode's spirit) but it absolutely destroys the stereotype of Pinkie Pie being nothing more than mere comic relief. Of course, it's easy to see that Pinkie Pie is full to the brim with character on other episodes, but more often than not this isn't truly brought out - in Feeling Pinkie Keen, we were concerned with Twilight just as equally; in A Friend In Deed, we were dividing our attention between Pinkie and Cranky; you get the idea. Too Many Pinkie Pies really throws Pinkie into your face and tells you to notice her, and even manages to get in enough in-character cameos from the rest of the Mane 6, while completely keeping Pinkie (or the Pinkies) center stage, and showing us that there's more to her than cheery smiles and singing songs. That was spectacularly done.
 

But I think the one thing that makes this episode stand out for me the most, is... how close it gets to actually chucking a main character out of the show. Indifferent of how people found the paint test to be predictable, it was absolutely not in the context itself. Unlike other episodes, where failure in the context results simply in humiliation or disapproval, there really was the danger that the true Pinkie Pie - the one with all the substance, the heart and adoration for her friends, the one we all know and love - could be banished to the Mirror Pond, to never be seen again. It was really tense, and perhaps intense as you can get for the target audience (and for us actually, because we really do bond with these characters). What impressed me even more was how Pinkie Pie had to realise within herself the importance of friendship to will herself to keep staring at the wall, showing how enough determination, inner belief and acceptance of remorse can pull you through things. Who cares if it wasn't in a practical sense - the moral was damn good, and getting a good moral across through forty Pinkie clones is a platinum achievement. It was admirable both of Pinkie and of the writers.
 

But wait, I haven't given Sweet and Elite equal scrutiny! Wut happen! Well, I'll tell you why I'm not even giving Sweet and Elite a second thought - it'd be ineffective. For me, Too Many Pinkie Pies is the Nirvana. It's the essence through and through. Not even Sweet and Elite's greatest qualities magnified thousandfold would provide but a morsel of a challenge.
 

May Too Many Pinkie Pies take the gold, because it truly does deserve it.

[Clarity 3,094]

Looks like I have an unpopular opinion right here. :/

 

Too Many Pinkie Pies annoys the hell out of me. "Fun fun fun!" Oh, give me a break....

 

Sweet and Elite, in my opinion, was one of the better Rarity episodes. And that song. It's my favorite one out of all of them except for possibly Raise This Barn, and I used to sing it in the car.

[Leafeon 2,701]

Sweet and Elite seemed to have developed Rarity way better then Too Many Pinkie Pies developed Pinkie. While it was fun, Sweet and Elite portrayed Rarity perfectly, and re watching it reminds me why she is my favorite of the mane 6.

[SuperUltimateBrony 351]

Sorry about the lateness on this topic. There were a few issues that I had to take care of earlier. I apologize to Dash Forever on staying up too long in anticipation of this topic.

[Scootalove 10,684]

I say Sweet and Elite. Too Many Pinkie Pies was so hilarious with Pinkie Pie trying to have fun with everyone.

Sweet and Elite had Rarity show off her classy and very social side in Canterlot, by being the talk of the town.

[An Old Head 4,815]

way better then Too Many Pinkie Pies developed Pinkie.

 

I know that we're all entitled to our opinions, but I have to disagree with this statement. Too Many Pinkie Pies was wonderful development for Pinkie. You might have not implied the opposite, and maybe I'm being a little defensive of my favourite episode, but I still loved her change. We all know how wild and bouncy she is, but she learned that while wanting to please all your friends is great, you should be careful not to overdo things. It's not linear, either - the fact that she's the only mindful one of her crazy duplicates is a really unique and unexpected perspective.

 

That's what I think, anyway - hopefully you see what I mean.

Edited January 28, 2013 by Flipturn

[Leafeon 2,701]

I know that we're all entitled to our opinions, but I have to disagree with this statement. Too Many Pinkie Pies was wonderful development for Pinkie. You might have not implied the opposite, and maybe I'm being a little defensive of my favourite episode, but I still loved her change. We all know how wild and bouncy she is, but she learned that while wanting to please all your friends is great, you should be careful not to overdo things. It's not linear, either - the fact that she's the only mindful one of her crazy duplicates is a really unique and unexpected perspective.

 

That's what I think, anyway - hopefully you see what I mean.

I never said it did not develop her. It did, quite well. Except Sweet and Elite developed Rarity much better.

 

In Sweet and Elite, we see Rarity is invited to Canterlot. She doesn't actually fit in as much as she thinks she does, but tries to anyway. Though she ends up telling a bunch of lies to get to a popular status, which is not odd at all, she still keeps trying to force herself to do what she promised Twi. Of course, she's competing with a birthday, and her life goal. So of course, she goes more with her life goal, and I completely respect that.

 

The episode also showed that Twi is very laid back and such, and that all of Rarity's friends would stick by her, even if she doesn't fulfill her promises. And Rarity eventually realized the error of her ways, and developed as a character, which actually ended up keeping continuity with the show.

 

Too Many Pinkie Pies, while developing Pinkie, did not keep that continuity. She went back to her old self after the episode finished. It's just like when Fluttershy learned to be more assertive. Is she now? No. I don't even remember what lesson Pinkie learned, honestly. As they did not state it clearly. Did she learn to be calmer, only to be less calm then she was before the episode? (Magic Deul, Wonderbolts Academy, One Bad Apple, etc.) If so, the episode loses it's moral, which makes it much worse.

 

EDIT: When I say Rarity kept continuity, I meant within her own episodes. Her personality is generally a bit off when the thing is not centered on her, for some reason I can't understand. This problem doesn't seem to apply to the other ponies either...

Edited January 28, 2013 by Firebolt

[An Old Head 4,815]

I never said it did not develop her. It did, quite well. Except Sweet and Elite developed Rarity much better.

 

In Sweet and Elite, we see Rarity is invited to Canterlot. She doesn't actually fit in as much as she thinks she does, but tries to anyway. Though she ends up telling a bunch of lies to get to a popular status, which is not odd at all, she still keeps trying to force herself to do what she promised Twi. Of course, she's competing with a birthday, and her life goal. So of course, she goes more with her life goal, and I completely respect that.

 

The episode also showed that Twi is very laid back and such, and that all of Rarity's friends would stick by her, even if she doesn't fulfill her promises. And Rarity eventually realized the error of her ways, and developed as a character, which actually ended up keeping continuity with the show.

 

Too Many Pinkie Pies, while developing Pinkie, did not keep that continuity. She went back to her old self after the episode finished. It's just like when Fluttershy learned to be more assertive. Is she now? No. I don't even remember what lesson Pinkie learned, honestly. As they did not state it clearly. Did she learn to be calmer, only to be less calm then she was before the episode? (Magic Deul, Wonderbolts Academy, One Bad Apple, etc.) If so, the episode loses it's moral, which makes it much worse.

 

The moral of the episode was not to overdo things - in regards to knowing that you can always make your friends smile, no matter the times where you have to choose one over the other. This was definitely shown and kept continuous, not once has she had the issue since then. Her actions in Wonderbolt Academy were simply out of concern for Dash, but it's also part of her character to make sure nothing bad happens to her friends. (You can't count it as overdoing it if her friend is over at the Academy). The moral of Too Many Pinkie Pies definitely stuck.

 

Now, I'm not saying Sweet And Elite doesn't do this as well. It does - Rarity generally learns to put aside her personal gains for better things. It's probably my favourite Rarity episode.

 

But of course, Pinkie's by a mile my favourite pony, and I've definitely expressed the colossal appeal Too Many Pinkie Pies has to me.

[Leafeon 2,701]

The moral of the episode was not to overdo things - in regards to knowing that you can always make your friends smile, no matter the times where you have to choose one over the other. This was definitely shown and kept continuous, not once has she had the issue since then. Her actions in Wonderbolt Academy were simply out of concern for Dash, but it's also part of her character to make sure nothing bad happens to her friends. (You can't count it as overdoing it if her friend is over at the Academy). The moral of Too Many Pinkie Pies definitely stuck.

 

Now, I'm not saying Sweet And Elite doesn't do this as well. It does - Rarity generally learns to put aside her personal gains for better things. It's probably my favourite Rarity episode.

 

But of course, Pinkie's by a mile my favourite pony, and I've definitely expressed the colossal appeal Too Many Pinkie Pies has to me.

I like Pinkie only a tad less then Rarity... she was my favorite pony like 3 days ago. So I'm saying this unbiased. So of course, I believe that it is a bit better.

[Wingnut 6,734]

I have to go with Sweet and Elite on this one.  Frankly, I don't think either episode was worthy of reaching the fourth round.  But it is what it is.  After awhile, "Fun, fun, fun!" just got on my nerves. 

 

EDIT:  Was a determination ever made, or possible, regarding allegations of voting fraud?

Edited January 28, 2013 by ~Chaotic Wingnut~

[An Old Head 4,815]

Okay, seriously? It's happened again. Where did Sweet And Elite get 14 votes from within a few minutes?

 

It can't happen for the second day in a row. Someone's using duplicate accounts to try and one-up the opposing episode.

[SuperUltimateBrony 351]

I just noticed that too. I commented on that. We're doing this episode again tomorrow. There's obvious signs of cheating here. It's not the fact that there were a spike in votes, but the fact that Sweet And Elite got 14 votes and TMPP didn't get one? That's ridiculous. I'm not defending TMPP here, but it's very obvious that someone tried to rig the polls in S&E's favor.

 

Everypony, you'll have to have a GameFaqs account to vote. I'm making the vote option to an IP Adress. I can give a few accounts to people who are too lazy to make one.

[An Old Head 4,815]

I have to go with Sweet and Elite on this one.  Frankly, I don't think either episode was worthy of reaching the fourth round.  But it is what it is.  After awhile, "Fun, fun, fun!" just got on my nerves. 

 

EDIT:  Was a determination ever made, or possible, regarding allegations of voting fraud?

 

It seemed pretty obvious, but the illicit votes were made in favour of an episode that ended up losing regardless. I guess they waved that one through. But cheating in this case will actually have a bearing on the outcome.

 

Edit: Cheers SUB, looks like that'll work out right. May the best ep win!

Edited January 28, 2013 by Flipturn

[Emerald Flame 381]

I just noticed that too. I commented on that. We're doing this episode again tomorrow. There's obvious signs of cheating here. It's not the fact that there were a spike in votes, but the fact that Sweet And Elite got 14 votes and TMPP didn't get one? That's ridiculous. I'm not defending TMPP here, but it's very obvious that someone tried to rig the polls in S&E's favor.

 

Everypony, you'll have to have a GameFaqs account to vote. I'm making the vote option to an IP Adress. I can give a few accounts to people who are too lazy to make one.

 

Damn cheaters. I just added a legitimate vote for Sweet and Elite, but I didn't read the thread first. I guess I'd better get on making that GameFaqs account then. You will still be posting threads here though, right?

 

EDIT: Bah, someone stole my name! I'll be using FlamesOfEmerald instead. *angry mumbling*

Edited January 29, 2013 by Emerald Flame

[An Old Head 4,815]

Was the cheating thing ever resolved? It looks like the 18 illicit votes are still there on the poll, even with the new IP thing introduced. How can we tell who's actually the winner?

[SuperUltimateBrony 351]

I just got home everypony. The IP addresses will be added to all polls now. I'll make the poll in an hour and fifteen minutes. I'm making it cheatproof now.