Season 3 Review Thread

[Dark Qiviut 22,402]

Season three was like a haphazard dinner at a restaurant. You have a decent appetizer, then a scrumptious entrée, followed by an awful desert.
 
1 & 2. The Crystal Empire: Part one gave the season a great start. There were layers of great characterization amongst the Mane Six, notably Twilight Sparkle and Spike. The backstory of both King Sombra and the kingdom were also convincing, despite being brief. Its most notable drawbacks, however, were twofold (both in part 2):

• King Sombra's character was flatter than a board. What made Discord and Chrysalis engaging and more objectively menacing were how their personalities shone through. They had depth. Sombra was scary just for the sake of it.
• The plot crawled. Part 1 had an engaging plot that varied in pace. Part 2 had the pace crawl to a standstill as Twilight and Spike explored the Queen's castle while searching for the Crystal Heart.

Its strongest moment is easily the Door of Illusions/Door of Fear. It explored Twilight's greatest fear and desire to do whatever she can to pass the test. Twilight took this test so seriously and doesn't want to let herself, her friends, and Princess Celestia down. This powerful magic also gave Sombra the only layer given: his utmost cruelty for anyone aside his own.
 
While part one was great, part two was noticeably weaker. But it was still a hit.
 
3. Too Many Pinkie Pies: Dave Polsky's best episode by far. It was an episode full of comedy, but it also provided magnificent depth for Pinkie Pie, as well. Her clones were shallow and one-dimensional, with the minds of airheads, intentionally written to separate them from Pinkie's complex layer of care, laughter, and toughness. There was one obvious brony reference, too: G3!cloned Pinkie. The only flaw was the obvious Deus Ex Machina in the middle of Act 2 (where Spike discovered a secret cupboard within one of the back walls to reveal the book).
 
4. One Bad Apple: An episode that brought in a brand new eventual Cutie Mark Crusader: Babs Seed. The song is easily the catchiest of them all, with a great rhythm, great musical score, and psychedelic background. The CMC underwent the tortures of being bullied by someone who was coaxed under peer pressure to bully. The drawbacks in this episode were one objective, one personal:

• The revelation of Babs being bullied back in Manehattan came off as way too sudden. Even with the foreshadowing earlier in the episode, there was way too much buildup for the opposite. At least one extra hint while Babs joined the forces of Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon would've given the twist a bit more convincing.
• Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara were flat. In Ponyville Confidential, Diamond Tiara was given extra depth by being organized and conniving. She put the Cutie Mark Crusaders in hostage with the threat of having their private photos being released in order to embarrass the trio. Here, Diamond Tiara was a generic antagonist. The same can be siad for Silver Spoon, whom was given a little extra layer of depth in Family Appreciation Day when she was the first to applaud to Granny Smith. That layer was missing, and she was relegated to a sidekick again.

5. Magic Duel: Easily my most favorite episode in season three (and second-best in season three, too). My two analyses can be found here and here.
 
6. Sleepless in Ponyville: Magic Duel is my most favorite episode in season three, but this one is easily the best. I praised this episode here.
 
7. Wonderbolts Academy: At the time, it was the boldest episode with Rainbow Dash joining the likes of Snowflake/Horse Power, Thunderlane, Cloudchaser, Raindrops, and Lightning Dust (Dash's foil and episode antagonist). It was Merriweather Willimas's first Dash-centered episode since The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well (arguably the worst episode in the series and in season two), but she didn't disappoint here. WA is by far the best Dash episode since Sonic Rainboom (and easily Williams's best episode); her complex character was explored entirely, and she obviously learned her lessons from her previous appearances. Rather than finding a fault, her faults were showcased and balanced with her biggest strength: her loyalty to what is her family. Rainbow Dash's character is a concrete highlight this season after a disastrous first half of season two. I wrote the full analysis here.
 
8. Apple Family Reunion. Unlike the previous episodes, this one is akin to season one and two's slice-of-life episodes. It's tame, but extremely well-done. Applejack's previous episodes centered around her stubbornness and occasional drive to steer away from troubles. Here, she did whatever she could to make the reunion grand, only to have her plans fall apart so badly. It explores a really fantastic side of her: her dedication and love for her family. My most favorite moment of the episode was when Granny Smith said to Apple Bloom that not everyone may make the next reunion, leading up to Applejack's desire to make this reunion the best ever. Here's my full review.
 
9. Spike at Your Service: Here's where the season's quality began to objectively drop — It was a clunker that reversed Spike's progress in character throughout the series and season three. It had many good smaller moments (including some funny lines), but Spike was handled horribly through a very inane concept. Here's my full review.
 
10. Keep Calm and Flutter On: A complete reversal of SaYS. The previous episode had a great pace but a shoddy plot and characterization, but this one had easily the strongest characterization of the full cast and shoddy pacing. Fluttershy was extremely in character who didn't fall into being needlessly shy, She was strong-willed and did whatever she could to make Discord trust her in some way. Discord's plan to manipulate Fluttershy completely worked, but Fluttershy witnedd this plan from the very beginning and had him beat in his own game. She's tenaciously patient, and this episode showed the character development she received from Dragonshy, Putting Your Hoof Down, and Hurricane Fluttershy; she was given justice, and Polsky (and Teddy Antonio, the story's creator) deserve immense credit. But Discord's redemption isn't factually as convincing because:

• the pace was abnormally fast with no time to recuperate at any point.
• Celestia's throwaway line when describing her interest to have Discord redeemed was contrite and nonsensical.

It would've been a hell of a lot better if Discord's redemption was a two-parter; too much information was compacted into one twenty-minute episode, and the timeline was implausibly short. My full review is found here.
 
11. Just for Sidekicks: Easily my most hated episode of the season. Corey Powell is a wonderful writer who can handle the characters brilliantly. But Spike's character was written atrociously. Instead of being balanced with his greed and commitment to perform right, his qualities were sacrificed for his conniving and greedy sides, lessons that he learned in the past. Powell knows the universe, but tried to give Spike a flaw that he is capable of understanding the need to caution himself. There were several fantastic small moments, but Spike is the focus, so the episode is weighted by his performance. Spike's characterization was an absolute travesty, and I wouldn't EVER recommend this disgusting episode to ANYONE. Here's my full review.
 
12. Games Ponies Play: This episode I haven't watched yet. But that only determines whether I'll like the episode or not. But I read the transcript on the MLP:FIM wiki, and the characterization is bullshit. I'll skip it over.
 
13. Magical Mystery Cure: The songs are strong and progressed the plot. But that's really the lone strength (besides the animation; it's always been strong). The plot was way too fast, and Twilight's evolution to an alicorn had no momentum from TCEII onward. It was refreshingly dark in many aspects, but the plot whizzed through like flipping a storybook without reading the lines. Each sequences had no time to relax nor explore the consequences of the changing of the Mane Six's core. This episode easily should've been a two-parter to not just make the premise interesting, but also sell the Twilicorn concept better. The Twilicorn concept is factually stupid, and it was going to take something brilliant to make the idea convincing in the canon. (Liking a concept does NOT mean it's objectively a GOOD one.) M. A. Larson had to weave in the Twilicorn concept in the best fashion possible, and while it was a hell of a lot better than it could've been, but given Larson's intellect, it should've been much stronger. It had no momentum, and it showed through here. Overall, I'm okay with it, but objectively (sadly), this episode is a strikeout. (Look out for the episode review. I intend to write it and publish it tomorrow.)
 

That said, it gave us a welcoming pleasant surprise:
 

 
And she appeared at least five times, three of them WITH her derped eyes!

 

 

Overall, season three's episode quality is a mixed bag. There were so many great episodes in the first half, but of the last five episodes, only Keep Calm and Flutter On can be called good, and even that was greatly flawed. To put it bluntly, the biggest flaw in season three was its brevity. Seasons one and two progressed in several baby steps, but season three, due to its order of sixty-five episodes, attempted to perform bigger and more grandiose. Some episodes did a fantastic job (Wonderbolts Academy, Magic Duel), but it failed in others (Magical Mystery Cure). It felt like a final season in a series rather than a continuation for several seasons. So the team attempted to put forth more radical ideas that would make much more sense if given more time to foreshadow everything, especially the horrid Twilicorn concept. It forced itself to go bold, and it's evident by the really wavering quality of the episodes and even the ideas.

 

Nonetheless, I still have a lot of faith in the team. With season four having twenty-six episodes, there are many possibilities for the series to progress into deeper, more whimsical, and more thoughtful territories. I trust the writers and storyboard artists in getting the job done for season four. Who I have no faith in, however, is Hasbro: They're notorious for inserting some very stupid, series-altering ideas in the canon with no other reason than to sell toys. The results have been mixed, so I patiently wait for the subsequent quality of the upcoming episodes in season four.
 
—
 
So, with that, here's my list of season three episodes (from most favorite to least favorite regardless of quality):

• Magic Duel
• Sleepless in Ponyville
• Wonderbolts Academy
• Apple Family Reunion
• The Crystal Empire, Part 1
• Keep Calm and Flutter On
• Magical Mystery Cure
• Too Many Pinkie Pies
• One Bad Apple
• The Crystal Empire, Part 2
• Spike at Your Service
• Just for Sidekicks

Edited February 17, 2013 by Dark Qiviut

[NavelColt 22,880]

Spose' I'll pin this for at least a day or two. I feel it's the least I can do to help out with a proper closure topic to the season, such as this.

 

Probably expecting some big-ass post. I'm unfortunately a bit tired and preoccupied. I will say however that S3 has had more episodes in its' mass that I now consider to be some of the best episodes of the series, than the previous two seasons have. Scootalove, Discord, Spitfire...all the character development, jokes, etc were all good for the most part. While a couple episodes were lackluster, like Spike at Your Service and Apple Family Reunion, and some of the episodes' endings felt a little rushed, overall S3 has been a terrific season, and I hold it as my favorite thus far.

[Anadu Kune 668]

ok so I posted this in the episode discussion but Ill post it here too.

Magical Mystery Cure overview/Review

Ok so here is my very first just watched it  impression review.
 

The bad
First lets get my one big complaint out of the way. This episode needed to be a two parter. It went by fast 22 minuets felt like 10. I felt more time could be spent on pretty much everything. Its weird because at the same time I feel they divided the the episode well. I guess 22 minuets isn't enough. For all the good and beautiful moments contained within this episode are slightly marred by a overall fast pacing. All of these theme's could have been explored more thoroughly. This leaves some questions and somethings go unexplained. One being the weird dimension Twilight and Celestia go to. What does being a princess mean in Equestria? Are all alicorns created in such a way? The exact purpose of Starswirls spell has some ambiguity. As I said in a previous post, this seems to be the one consistent problem that pervades the entire series. They have a lot to show, but not enough time to show it without pacing problems.

 

oh and why can she fly already? stupid nit pick but whateves. 

 

Though it should be said lot of these questions dont really need to be answered right now. This is still an on going series, so many of these questions are almost certainly going to be addressed. 

 
 

The feels

First thing I wanted to say is that this episode managed to evoke a greater emotional response in me than any other episode. That Celestia song my god. I am not lying when I say I teared up a bit. It takes a lot to do that to me. The way in which it is presented just shows how much Twilight has grown, brings up continuity and is an excellent song to boot. The loving tone in the song is I think what does it. Celestia has been like a second mother to Twilight and Twilight like a daughter to Celestia. Its not only stated that Celestia is proud of Twilight, but it really shows in the tone of the song. For as much as Celestia may have impacted Twilights Life Twilight has impacted Celsetia's just as much. That relationship and Twilght's growth are presented greatly in this song. The presentation is really helped by the weird dimension they are in all the memories from past episodes flicker by reinforcing the message of the song as a theme of growth and progression. What the dimension is isnt really explained, but it largely doesn't matter as it is mostly an artistic device used for effective staging. It may well be my favorite song, and one of my favorite moments in the series. This was the scene that had the most impact on me which is why I bring it up first.
 

The Songs

I thought all of the songs were great. A true friend comes off much better in context. That sad Twilight song. Remixes will abound this year. The purpose of all the songs was to move the story along and evoke emotion I would most certainly say they accomplished that. Each song served a purpose. 

-Everythings going to be fine.
This song starts the episode in an energetic way and introduces us to the problem at hand. The happy energetic nature of the song conflicts with the more dire tone of the next two songs and the situations those entail. It also serves to book end the episode and character arch of the episode. The first showing Twilight's normal happy energetic, optimistic outlook. The reprise showing that Twilight has accepted the change and situation she is in. Going from despare to revelation, and confusion to the state she was in at the beginning of the episode.

-What my cutie mark is telling me.
This song expresses the confusion of the characters. Showing that they have switched lives, stuck in a position in life that they are not meant for. Consistently failing at the jobs they think they are meant for and not knowing why. 

-Why
This song shows twilights regret and the aceptence of her mistake. It expresses her misery whilst also showing the misery of the other ponies.The scene also serves the purpose of showing the consequences of Twilight's mistake.

-True True Friend

This song serves as a montage of the characters solving the problem. At the same time it emphasizes the connection they have as friends and that it is that connection and help that enables the to see their true purpose, or as the song would put it"see the light".  The song serves to reinforce the main message the show has put forth since the first episode. Showing the importance of friendship.

-Celestias song
 I already addressed the emotional context of the song as well as much of its meaning, but ill elaborate more. This song is particularly poignant because it is the moment of Twilight's change. It serves to show us how she has grown as a character and what she has accomplished. and finally ends in Twilight's change.

-Going to be fine reprise

this largely serves to book end the episode whilst establishing that Twilight has returned to her normal happy self as she was in the beginning  However this time it serves to also show that twilight has accepted her new situation and will tackle it with the same vigor that she does with every other day.

Switching of the cutie mark and destinies

There seems to be some confusion over this. The spell seemed to be trying to unify the elements further producing "a magic without end" but it malfunctioned. As we know the elements of harmony are not just magical devices, they are linked to the ponies and the ponies to them. It has been shown that if they change they cant use the elements properly. It not a big leap to believe a change to the elements in the form of a malfunctioning spell could somehow effect the ponies. As a result of the spell they switched cutie marks and destinies. In other words they literally switched places in the world taking on the other's lot in life believing they were meant to do this. They maintained their personality traits but their place in the world had been forcibly changed. They were stuck in a position struggling to succeed but constantly failing and never knowing why. Of course they didn't take on the desires/personalities of the other ponies otherwise it would just be a body swap episode.

Keeping a Consistent Theme
I found this episode to be pretty clever. The solution to both problems tied directly back to the first episodes. The same "spark" of friendship which started Twilight on this journey was the one that allowed her to take this big step forward. Its that similar type of spark shown as a cutie mark the first time which enables her to return her friends to their normal state. She realizes that only by helping each other as friends the problem will be solved. This leads directly into her solution to Star Swirls spell. It is then that the same exact spark shines in Twilight's eyes and she now fully realizes the importance of friendship, even in connection to her studies in magic.  



Alicorn Twilight.

 

I'm still meh on alicorn Twilight. I'm not enraged by it nor am I whole loving it. Though I do like the design. 

 

some lingering questions and answers. 

What does the spell do exactly? 
From the indications given in the episode it seems the spell was trying to further unify the elements of harmony to produce "a magic without end"meaning either literally unlimited magic or very amplified magic. Unfortunately for Starswirl that requires an understanding of friendship. as it has been established since the first episode that the elements require or are heavily influenced by the unity of freindship. So it makes perfect sense that a more refined understanding utilized in a spell would amplify them.

 

Where will twilight live?

Probably in ponyville according to Tara Strong. Though all you have to do is think about it. There's no indication in the show that princesses are forced to live anywhere. Not to mention there is a presedence for princesses doing "mundane" tasks such as baby sitting. 

 

Why didn't Celestia ask twilight? 
im gonna chalk this one down to pacing problem. I have theories but they aren't things drawn from the episode. So it would be head cannon. It bothers me a bit, but its not a giant problem for me. 

 

What do I think overall?

I think overall this was a good episode and a great piece of art with great emotional scenes. This piece of art was marred by pacing issues making it great, but not the excellent episode it could have been. I think if this were a two parter it would be my favorite episode alicorn or no. As it stands I enjoyed it greatly I just wish they had gone the two parter route.

Im sure ill notice more as I watch the episode a second time.

Edited February 17, 2013 by Anadu Kune

[Batbrony 16,055]

 

Big honking chunk of text (though I really shouldn't be talking considering the ginormous post that I made for the OP on the first page   )

 

Wonderful review of the season finale; care to share any of your thoughts on the season as a whole?  You had a wonderfully detailed analysis, and I'm sure you've got some great thoughts to share about the entire season.   

[Anadu Kune 668]

 

Wonderful review of the season finale; care to share any of your thoughts on the season as a whole?  You had a wonderfully detailed analysis, and I'm sure you've got some great thoughts to share about the entire season.   

Overall I loved it. The animation and design quality was through the roof. Great songs, returning villains. and some great character dept and progression. It not without its missteps there were some episodes I didn't care for, but overall great. As I believe I said in the post I think the series most consistent weakness is its pacing just too much to show with too little time. Its present to the extent that I think im going to call it mlp syndrome. Again I think that this season was on the whole great, many of the criticism I see labeled as fatal flaws are either personal preference or explained visualy in the episode or through continuity. 

 

Episodes I loved 

Too many Pinkie Pies

Sleepless in ponyville

Magical Duel

Crystal Empire

Just for Side Kicks 

Magical Mystery Cure(i have to if only for that Celestia song)

Keep Calm and Flutter on

 

Episodes I enjoyed but felt were ok

One Bad Apple 

Games Ponies Play

Apple Family Reunion

Wonderbolts Academy

 

Episodes I didn't care for

Spike at your service 

 

I am really considering doing review/overviews like that for all of the episodes if time is willing.

 

Edit:episodes I didnt care for doesnt mean I hated them just that I felt the errors I thought present bothered me. Wether those errors be continuity, characterization, or personal preference. In this case the first two. Though I did enjoy a fair bit of that episode regaurdless.

Edited February 17, 2013 by Anadu Kune

[Crispy 5,563]

I'll keep this short and sweet.  Obviously, these are only my opinions.  Agree or disagree at your leisure.

 

Season one had the best mid-season episodes.

 

Season two had the best freakouts/Finale.

 

Season three has had the best character development, and a shorter season hurt it's overall performance.

 

All have been good in their own ways, but if I had to list them, three would be the "worst" if only because of the season being basically cut in half from what it should be.

[Twiliscael 3,960]

I thought season 3 was boring, repetitive, predictable, straightforward, less witty and comical, and had less thought and care put into it than season 1 or 2. 'Nuff said.

 

I'll keep this short and sweet.  Obviously, these are only my opinions.  Agree or disagree at your leisure.

 

Season one had the best mid-season episodes.

 

Season two had the best freakouts/Finale.

 

Season three has had the best character development, and a shorter season hurt it's overall performance.

 

All have been good in their own ways, but if I had to list them, three would be the "worst" if only because of the season being basically cut in half from what it should be.

Stop defending things I don't like.

[Crispy 5,563]

Stop defending things I don't like.

 

Stop not liking things for bad reasons.  All signs point to "shit they only gave us 13 episodes for 26 episodes worth of content."  Writers did what they could under the circumstances.

[Twiliscael 3,960]

Stop not liking things for bad reasons.  All signs point to "shit they only gave us 13 episodes for 26 episodes worth of content."  Writers did what they could under the circumstances.

Never said that. I had no problem with 13 episodes. In fact, a bit of a shorter season seemed like an opportunity to give the episodes some underlying plotline or something to me at least. Which it didn't, save for the opener and finale.

[Ron J 276]

The episode was rushed, yes, but you can't just fit Twilight screwing up the elements of harmony to Twilight becoming pony Jesus in a mere 22 minutes. It should have been a two-parter. I loved the songs (All fuckin' 6 of them), but some parts would have been far better without them.

[n1029 227]

It was a season filled with some highs and many lows. While I think Sleepless in Ponyville is one of the finest episodes they've produced, nearly everything that came after was mediocre or worse. If it weren't for the comics it would be very difficult for me to remain a fan after the finale.

[Orablanco Account 3,707]

• The Crystal Empire is probably my favorite two-parter thus far. Yes, even more than A Canterlot Wedding. While the villain wasn't as strong (though I believe Sombra doesn't get enough credit for being as evil if not more so than Chrysalis and being the only villain smart enough to realize that the power of friendship/love could defeat him and thus took proper precautions), it included the entire Mane 6 (and Spike, too!) rather than just have Twilight have to do everything herself as usual, it was exciting, and it was well paced, never feeling like something could have been expanded on like the other two parters. And the production quality is top notch throughout, from the music, to the animation (WINDY MANE FTW), to the design of The Crystal Empire itself. A great way to open up a season. 9/10
• Too Many Pinkie Pies was way better than I expected it to be. Pinkie is always hit or miss with me, but I absolutley love her in this episode: she's genuinley funny, the existensial crisis bit was heart breaking, and she fits the "clones-running-amok" plot perfectly. It was a wise desicion to focus on the characters' reactions to the clones rather than all the car-razy antics of the Pinkie clones, and the resolution of the conflict is both creative and ambiguous (we have to have faith that the right Pinkie was the one who passed the test rather than being told outright that that was the real her). Overall, pretty flippin' sweet. 9.5/10
• One Bad Apple is just okay; there's arguments to be made for both its quality or its mediocrity. One one hoof, the song is catchy, the CMC get some great character moments throughout (forgiving Babs after the hell she put them through speaks alot about her charcter), I kinda like Babs, and it's cool that they're tackaling bullying. On the other hoof, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon have absolutley no character development at all and I cringe whenever I see them (not because they are bullies, but because they're incredibly lame bully characers), I think it should have been Applejack who said something to them at the end, it's kind of predictable, and i think that it tries to hard to be cute sometimes (a man can only take so much diabeetus before it gets redundant). I think the good outweighs the bad, and i guess I enjoyed it. 7/10
• Magic Duel was a dissapointment the first time I watched it, due to my lofty expectations, but with subsequent viewings, it has improved. I always felt Trixie got royally screwed over for doing her job in Boast Busters, so it was satisfying in the first act to see that the writers had actually taken the route I thought would be best for her return episode; she was humilated after the Ursa Minor incident, and comes back to seek (maybe not entirely unjustified) revenge. I'm also liking the fact that the show seems to be following my head cannon for dark magic (it amplifies the wort aspects of the pony using it). Magic training with Zecora was cool (even if it was entirley glazed over) and I like that they defeat the villain by using cunning and teamwork, as oppoused to just shooting rainbows everywhere. That said, the episodeshould have been a two parter (like it was originally suppoused to be), as it felt like it was in fast forward sometimes. And while she was cute in the ninja-bunny outfit thing, you'd think that after facing down a dragon, a changeling army, and Mr. T, Fluttershy would be less...cowardly. Ah well, It was good episode nonetheless. 8/10
• Sleepless in Ponyville is perfect, and is probably now my favorite episode. The characterization of Scootaloo and her relationship to Rainbow Dash is excellent and has the potential to set up great stories in the future. The use of Princess Luna was a nice surprise and helped to greatly developed her role as a ruler. The interactions between the cast is great, it strikes the right balance between drama and comedy, and it's the most HNNNNG inducing episode of the season. Reminds me of why I love this show in the first place. 10/10
• Wonderbolt Academy is plain awesome. Rainbow Dash has earned a lot of love from me over this season, and alot of that good will came from this episode. She's retained character development better than anypony else, and this story felt like a true test of character and the lessons she's learned. Her desicion to quit her Wonderbolts training was surprising and instantly gained her my respect, and though the writers eventually used a happier ending as oppoused to the [somewhat depressing] ending they originally intended, it's still a very mature resolution that felt earned. Also, the animation was fantastic, the use of background ponies was great, and Pinkie is hilarious. And while I may be a minority on this, Spitfire is awesome in this episode; I like the idea of her being this layed back, approachable pony in real life, but once she gets into a professional setting, you don't mess with her. Overall, great episode, Rainbow Dash is best pony of the season. 9/10
• Apple Family Reunion is a pretty darn good episode. It doesn't do anything particularly intresting, but hey, we finally get another Applejack epsidoe where she's actually in it, and she get's a solo this time (and a really awesome one, too!). People complain that more emphasis is place on AJ's family rather than her, but that's the best way to approach her stories, I think; family is a big part of who she is, and they're badass anyway. The comedy is great, heart warming, and it's a lot of fun. And the hint at AJ's parents was ingenious; bronies and observant kids will get it, and it brings a level of meaning to AJ's efforts in the story without feling out of place with the light hearted nature of the episode. Classy. 8.5/10
• Spike at Your Service gets way to much crap, IMO. It was weird to see Spike act so clumsy (to the point that I speculated that this was originally penned as a Derpy episode), but it's nice to see this evolution of his heroism in The Crystal Empire into this noble (if not misguided) attempt at chivalry. It's overall an enjoyable episode that features at least one great moment from everypony and some awesome set pieces involving the [totally badass] timberwolves. Good stuff, good stuff. 8/10
• Keep Calm and Flutter on is solid for the most part. Discord is bucking awesome in every scene he's in, it's nice to finally get a Fluttershy episode that isn't about her social anxiety, both of them have some good chemistry together, it's very funny, and there's Disney refrences galore. However, like Magic Duel, I feel that it should have been a two parter, even more so then that episode. I actually have no problems with Discord's heel-face-turn, as it could lead to some great, TNG-esque stories in the future. However, it was extremely rushed. The basic outline of his reformation is there, but I never really felt that Discord appreciated Fluttershy up to that point. All she ever did was tolerate his BS. We never really saw her genuinley befriend Discord, and I'm still not sure why the god of chaos wouls suddenly value friendship. I like the episode, but again, it was rushed. 7.5/10
• Just For Sidekicks stinks. I know everybody else likes it, but I just didn't like it, and it's only getting worst the more i think about it. I've already talked at great length about why I dislike it so, but in short, I think it's needlessy mean to Spike, who's written as a fail-tastic butt monkey jerk, a derailment from the nuanced hero we saw before. There's some good moments in the beginning, particularly with Rainbow Dash and Tank, but it's all eclipsed by the main plot. I can't stand this episode, but apparently I'm the only one. 4/10
• Games Ponies Play is an episode I do not care for. There's some good stuff with Mane 6, I find myself liking that weird mustang pony, and seeing Rainbow Dad was a pleasant surprise. Otherwise, though, it's just meh. The idea is meh, the misundertsnading around which the episode is based is meh, and the final resolution is meh. Also, after a season of no episodes about her, I was dissapointed to see Best Pony Rarity get pushed out of the main plot. Meh. 5/10
• I think it may be too early for me to call Magical Mystery Cure. It's been only an hour or two since I watched it. Overall, the songs were great, and animation is pretty stellar, and it's heart-warming TO THE MAX. It feels satisfying to see how far Twilight and her friends have come. However, I wished they had kept the alicorn thing as the resolution to something more...epic, I guess, and I think that in some areas, it's rushed in terms of plot (the main conflict is explained in a flashback). I'm not against the idea of Twilight being an alicorn. For now. Eventually, I do believe there's going to be some conflict in which Twilight will (or must) give up her princess status as the ultimate act of D'AWWWW. But as of right now, I'm a bit confused as to what this all entails, or why it was important naritive-wise for this is too occur now. All in good time, I suppouse. Overall, I liked it. 8/10

 

 

I very much enjoyed this season, despite some grievances with some episodes, and I had a good time experiencing my first live airing of a season with this fandom. Here's to hoping season 4 is 40% cooler.

 

And welcome back, Derpy.

Edited February 17, 2013 by CITRUS KING46

[n1029 227]

1 Sleepless in Ponyville - 10/10

2 Too Many Pinkie Pies - 8.5/10

3 Just for Sidekicks - 8.5/10

4 One Bad Apple - 8.5/10

5 The Crystal Empire - 8/10

6 Games Ponies Play - 7.5/10

7 Magic Duel - 7/10

8 Apple Family Reunion - 7/10

9 Keep Calm and Flutter On - 6/10

10 Spike At Your Service - 6/10

11 Wonderbolts Academy - 5/10

12 Magical Mystery Cure - 2/10

[Radiance64 7,053]

I liked season 3 for the most part, but it has to be my least favorite season compared to seasons 1 and 2, with 2 being my favorite and one being my second favorite. The episodes just didn't wow me as much as the ones from the last 2 seasons did as a whole, but I do appreciate it for being experimental and keeping consistent continuity, and having the balls to really change something; make no mistake, this show is going to take liberties and I like it! I would probably rank the episodes like this, from favorite to least favorite:

1) Magic Duel

2) Keep Calm and Flutter On

3) Magical Mystery Cure

4) The Crystal Empire, parts 1 and 2

5) Apple Family Reunion

6) Games Ponies Play

7) Spike at Your Service

8) Wonderbolt Academy

9) Just for Sidekicks

10) One Bad Apple

12) Sleepless in Ponyville

13) Too Many Pinkie Pies

 

Maybe a little avant-garde compared to popular opinion, but it's how I really felt about the episodes. No I didn't love Sleepless in Ponyville, and yes, I did love the finale, so

Oh, and you can find my full reviews of some of the episodes here on my blog:

http://mlpforums.com/blog/68-super-brony-blog-64/

[Batbrony 16,055]

Spike at Your Service gets way to much crap, IMO. It was weird to see Spike act so clumsy (to the point that I speculated that this was originally penned as a Derpy episode), but it's nice to see this evolution of his heroism in The Crystal Empire into this noble (if not misguided) attempt at chivalry. It's overall an enjoyable episode that features at least one great moment from everypony and some awesome set pieces involving the [totally badass] timberwolves. Good stuff, good stuff. 8/10

 

And welcome back, Derpy.

 

Very good review, very good review indeed!  I too think that "Spike At Your Service" gets way more crap than it deserves!  I get why, because it's technically a Spike episode, and like you said he's kinda dumb and clumsy for most of it, but he's well meaning, and it's both a fantastic Applejack episode (seriously, nopony EVER talks about how great she is in that episode!!!) and a fantastic ensemble episode for the Mane 6, one of the few of Season 3.

 

And buck yes, welcome back Derpy indeed!!!  Oh, now I can't wait to see what Studio B does with her in Season 4; I've just gotta believe she'll show up more next season! 

[Pixel Stick 927]

My six cents (adjusted for inflation):

• Sleepless in Ponyville (D'awwww!  Excellent dream sequences, plus Luna!)
• Wonderbolts Academy (Rainbow Dash doing the right thing, even if it means giving up her dream)
• The Crystal Empire, Part 1 (Helping the Crystal Ponies remember who they are, plus Celestia can be scary!)
• Too Many Pinkie Pies (FUN! FUN! FUN!)
• Keep Calm and Flutter On (Fluttershy breaks Discord - well done!)
• Magic Duel (Trixie's corruption and subsequent redemption)
• Apple Family Reunion (AJ's OCD episode - not bad)
• One Bad Apple (Not a big fan of the CMC)
• Just for Sidekicks (A little too much focus on Spike's greed - we already saw that in "Secret of my Excess")
• The Crystal Empire, Part 2 (Weakest villain to date - they could have done so much more with him)
• Magical Mystery Cure (What the hell just happened?)
• Games Ponies Play (They REALLY tried too hard with this one, IMO)
• Spike at Your Service (Same here - Spike is noble but almost completely inept!  Seemed very inconsistent.)

I think overall this season had some very good stuff in it, but like Kyronea, I feel it had a lot of missed opportunities.  Sleepless in Ponyville is now my top favorite episode of the series as a whole, and other notable moments in Wonderbolts Academy, Too Many Pinkie Pies and Keep Calm and Flutter On made this season memorable.  But I also felt that this season had the lowest lows of the series as well - I really didn't like the finale nearly as much as those of the first two seasons, and it felt like as the season neared its end, the plots were starting to get into shark-jump territory.  I feel like the show was trying too hard to maintain its velocity.

 

Now, to be fair, I totally understand how difficult it can be to maintain the velocity that it had established in two full seasons of excellence.  While neither Season 1 nor 2 were perfect by any stretch, they must have done SOMETHING right to have gained such a following.  But I mentioned this last week that keeping all the characters "status quo" would inherently limit what the show could do, and would put it at risk of jumping the shark just for the sake of keeping it interesting.  I think Season 3 came perliously close to doing exactly that.

 

Now that Twilight is an Alicorn and a princess (of what, we don't know yet), the show has room to expand into new territory and explore different aspects of friendship that were simply unavailable before, and I have faith that they can do it without grasping at straws or flying over hypothetical large fish.  I think the show would have stagnated if this hadn't happened.  I just wish the ascension had been executed better.

 

I kinda wish one of the Studio B staff would explain why the finale was so jam-packed.  I strongly suspect that Season 4 hadn't been announced until the finale episode was already being produced (or might have even been finished) - it would just be cool to find out if that was indeed the case.  I suppose I could forgive it feeling like a series finale as opposed to just a season finale if that's what happened.

[Shanks 10,816]

Crystal Empire 2 parter: Like many I was dissapointed by King Sombra's lack of character development but still thought it was a decent episode. Twilight Sparkle confronted her fears, avoided King Sombra's traps and made the important sacrifice of possibly failing her "test" in order to ensure that the crystal heart was delivered and King Sombra was defeated.

 

Too Many Pinkie Pies: Pinkie Pie's only really memorable moment in this season sadly, Pinkie Pie learned an important lesson that even too much of a good thing can be bad.

 

One Bad Apple: This is my favorite episode involving the cutie mark crusaders it had the second best song in the series, introduced Bab's Seed who is a very interesting character with a lot of potential and did a good job of addressing the issue of bullying.

 

Magic Duel: It would be interesting to find out a bit more about the alicorn amulet, overall a decent episode and Zecora being in it automatically adds a few more cool points to it.

 

Sleepless In Ponyville: We got some of the best character development in the series from both Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo in this episode by having Rainbow Dash take an elderly sister like relationship to Scootaloo which I am eagerly awaiting to see more of in the future.

 

Wonderbolt Academy: We get more excellent character development of Rainbow Dash as she takes on the roll of the voice of reason.

 

Apple Family Reunion: Before I saw this episode I couldn't decide what was my favorite Applejack episode because every episode with AJ in it is automatically awesome but this one is my favorite AJ episode. We get a bit more background on the Apple Family without upstaging Applejack everypony in it complemented her perfectly like the spice in a good apple cider.

 

Spike at Your Service: I like Spike and this episode was okay but not as good as it could have been. Yes I get that Spike can be a doofus sometimes but does nearly moment of every episode he stars in have to revolve around that?

 

Keep Calm and Flutter On: Discord's antics were hilarious and it was great to see the ultimate troll return but him reforming so soon kind of felt a little abrupt and would have preferred that it be done after another appearance or two. I am eagerly awaiting what they decide to do with Discords character now.

 

Just for Sidekicks: Again with Spike being too much of a doofus

 

Games Ponies Play: Aside from the Discord episode this was the funniest episode of the entire season.

 

Magical Mystery Cure: Holy crap what a train wreck this episode is. I posted a full review of this which can be seen here

 

http://mlpforums.com/blog/456/entry-3253-i-hate-to-be-a-neighsayer-but/

[Malakili 165]

Here is my list:

 

Masterpiece:

 

Sleepless in Ponyville
Wonderbolts Academy
Keep Calm and Flutter On

Too Many Pinkie Pies

 

Very Good:

Magic Duel

The Crystal Empire

Magical Mystery Cure (maybe it's just Good not sure yet...)

 

Good:

 

One Bad Apple

Just For Sidekicks

Apple Family Reunion


Okay:

Games Ponies Play
Spike at Your Service

 

This season was pretty great in my opinion, with a lot of my favorite episodes of all-time in it, despite a weak premiere and a finale that did not top the previous season's.

 

It is overall my least favorite one, season two being my favorite and season one inbetween them 

Edited February 17, 2013 by Malakili

[Derpy Azusa 272]

I wrote a review on my blog: heres a preview: 

 

 

Season 3 Overview:

So Season 3 Aired 2012-11-10 and ended 2013-02-16. It was a fast season and was only 13 episodes when the normal season length is 26. I think that they rushed the season to get it out to the public. However it was an alright season and I was surprised that they released Discord (Keep in mind queen chrysalis was not destroyed but banished by Shining Armor's protection spell). There were many twists and turns during the season.  Overall the episodes did keep you in suspense. I think that if they would have taken more time the season could have been even better.

Season Finale Review:

So the Season 3 Finale premiered on 2/16/13. I want to say that the musical numbers took up most of the time and the issue that faced Twilight when writing the wrong spell and changing everyone's Cutie Mark was solved to fast. I think that they should have split the finale in to 2 parts such as they did with the season 2 Finale. In my opinion they rushed  the finale to get it out.

 

Read full article

[Pony Of The Month 534]

1. Keep Calm And Flutter On- I don't find it nearly as rushed as most people do, and unless it were more of an adventurous episode, I could not see this one being a two-parter. I think this episode is perfect just the way it is. I love how it focused on Fluttershy's kindness rather than her shyness for a change.

2. One Bad Apple- This episode has beat Ponyvile Confidential as my favorite CMC episode.

3. Sleepless In Ponyville- The only thing I didn't like about this episode was Rarity.

4. Too Many Pinkie Pies- To those who believe that Pinkie Pie has become a one-dimensional character, you should really take a look at her clones compared to her. 

5. Magical Mystery Cure- I loved the idea of turning an episode with so much crammed into it into a musical. Musicals are fast-paced, so putting a story like this into a format that is allowed to be fast-paced makes it feel much less rushed, although I do admit, that it could have been a little better.

6. Wonderbolts Academy- This episode made me feel so proud of Rainbow Dash.

7. Magic Duel- Contrary to popular opinion, this episode was not rushed at all. The reason everyone says it was rushed was because Trixie was "redeemed" at the end. She wasn't really "redeemed." Even at the end, she still calls herself "great", and once again, runs straight out of Ponyville, as if she still doesn't feel welcome. She only apologized for being eviler than usual. She still has the same flaws she had from Boast Busters. She hasn't had a real redemption yet. They could still redeem her in a future episode.

8. The Crystal Empire- If you ask me, King Sombra had plenty of screen time. He's not interesting enough to get Discord treatment. The crystal ponies were the ones who really needed more screen time.

9. Just For Sidekicks- Much better than Spike At Your Service.

10. Apple Family Reunion- I don't have much to say about this one, but I liked the fruit bats.

11. Games Ponies Play- This episode really should have just been about the Equestrian Games, rather than the idiot ball plot they went with instead. Maybe there will be an episode about the actual Equestrian Games in Season 4.

12. Spike At Your Service- The worst episode of the series, imo.

[I am Lunar Fire 198]

I see a lot of negative reviews on Magical Mystery Cure, althought it wasn't that bad of an episode. One that feels rushed and maybe should have been twice as long, but a good one nonetheless.

 

I'm not going to rank the episodes or put them into tiers but I feel like giving a few comments on each:

The Crystal Empire

Wayyyy too dark. You know when your laptop screen is about to go to sleep and you notice it just enough to move your mouse and prevent it from going black? I must have did that at least 20 times because I thought my screen was actually doing it. The color tones just have that feeling to it that everything is about to go wrong...

And everything did go wrong actually.

 

Also with the vilain is felt like you're watching Silent Hill or Resident Evil or whatever zombie movie and a Z-Virus comes infecting everybody. The following scenes are usually gross images of people swollen or disfigured. Anyway, you know when you're watching My Little Pony and it feels like Resident Evil that something is not right.

 

Too Many Pinkie Pies

Feels like some people are experts in the WTF domain. I get the idea behind the whole episode but I thought the execution to be somewhat weird. This reminds of a particular Simpsons episode:

 

One Bad Apple

I have to admit this episode is pretty good at depicting the bullying phenomenon and how the CMC reacts, but the ending (CMC riding the cart in the mud) is pretty much just another akward moment in this season.

 

At least we got a new Apple in this episode (Babs Seed).

 

Magic Duel

So Trixie is back (YAY!) and we get to see Zecora also (Double YAY!).

 

I actually liked this episode because we get to see the strenght and weaknesses of the characters clearly and I'm all for character depth. I also liked the fact that we they explained Twilight's tricks in detail at the end, rather than the obvious ending we could have had.

 

Also it felt good to see that Twilight acknowledges another pony that is more talented than her, and not have this feeling like every other show that the main characters are better than everyone else.

 

Sleepless in Ponyville

I'm gonna make this short: Rainbow Dash + Scootaloo = Pure awesomeness

 

On a more serious note, it's fun to see one of the most daring ponies with nightmares, and it didn't feel like a contradiction. Breaking stereotypes is a thing most bronies care about, and I think this episode what just about that.

 

Wonderbolts Academy

I have to admit the awesomeness of this one not only because of Rainbow Dash. Most people will just like this episode because "Hey, we get to see 20 minutes of RD's stunts". Nah, this episode just focuses on humility and being careful. I think the overall script of this show was good and I hope to see Lightning Dust again.

 

Apple Family Reunion

I'm not a fan of AppleJack to start with, but I must admit this episode made me like her a little more. Getting to see Babs Seed again was nice even thought it was kinda rushed (by AppleJack, not by the writers).

 

I thought the photo finish was kinda cute.

 

Spike at your Service

This one goes way back in my head and I'll just have to watch it again because I kinda forgot the whole episode.

 

Keep Calm and Flutter On

The long awaited return of Discord. I didn't quite like the opening "Hey, make Discord nice, KTHXBYE", but the remainder of the episode made up for it. We got to see the whole mischevious Discord again and even though he did not terrorize PonyVille I think he stayed true to his roots.

 

Just for Sidekicks/Games Ponies Play

I'm doing both at once because they are linked one into the other and I have pretty much the same comments about them: Filler.

 

Those two episodes felt like they were there because they didn't know what to do with 311 and 312. The scripts didn't bring much to the show IMO. Both could have been in the same episode and it would have worked better.

 

Magical Mystery Cure

I talked about it earlier: I loved the musical feeling to it even if they cramped up much in the episode. When the two previous episodes could have been put together, this one should have been split in 2 episodes.

 

Anyway, mixed-up Cutie Marks, Songs and OMG TWILIGHT IS AN ALICORN! make it a really fun episode. Now imagine 2 episodes like this one, that would have been a perfect ending for S3.

[NavelColt 22,880]

Time for an actual post. Might as well do it now rather than later when I unpin this, and everyone forgets about it

 

Season Review (In order):

 

The Crystal Empire

People give it so much shit, especially Sombra. Sombra was made as an ominous villain that represented what should happen if Twilight failed to restore the Crystal Empire to what it originally was. Unlike the past three villains; NMM, Discord and Chrysalis, where the plot centered around stopping them and their schemes, this episode was not about Sombra, it was about Twilight and her 'test' she was given from Celestia. I think the episode did fairly well for what it was trying to accomplish, and was a satisfactory opener to the season. It doesn't beat out the previous two season openers (yes, I admit it, even NMM's episodes were more memorable overall), but it's still pretty good.

 

Too Many Pinkie Pies

This episode seems to get a fair amount of hate, too. Honestly, I thought this was a terrific Pinkie episode. The entire point of this episode was to take Pinkie's shenanigans and multiply them so vastly, that even Pinkie herself understood that there are boundaries she has to stick by. In this instance, it was that she needs to have patience and realize that she has to choose who she spends her time with sometimes, since she has a fair amount of friends. The episode was cute, obviously funny and had a worthwhile lesson. And frankly, the concept of Pinkie being cloned is something I'm sure a lot of people thought was both inevitable to see happen and funny, just by its' premise.

 

One Bad Apple

I didn't really like or dislike this episode after my first viewing, but it really grew on me as one of the better CMC episodes after a second and third view. Babs is a really interesting and unique character that a lot of people can identify with, thanks to her bullying issues. This episode had a terrific and catchy song, a decent storyline, a good lesson to portray to kids and it even ended with Worst Pony and her lackey falling into mud. I left the episode thinking I wouldn't mind seeing Babs return in the future, because like I said, she's definitely one of the more interesting new characters this season introduced. And low and behold, we did see her again, and it didn't even take more than four episodes.

 

Magic Duel

This was a -very- good episode. I've always disliked Trixie and her bloated fanbase, but after this episode, where she -actually- became a threat and wasn't just an annoying character who was all bark and no bite, my respect for her and by extension her fans raised considerably. Everything from the ominous opening to the actual duel(s), the Yoda and Skywalker references with Zecora training Twilight, the outsmarting of Trixie in the end and even the adorable fringe benefits of seeing things like Dashie being tickled, Rule 63 references with AJ, etc was all very well done and enjoyable.

 

Sleepless in Ponyville

I really don't even need to explain why this episode is amazing past 'Fucking adorable, amazing storyline and...fucking adorable'. This is easily one of the most loved episodes this season; I've seen very, very few people who disliked this episode. Scootalove became canon. Scootalove became canon. There are no words.

 

Wonderbolts Academy

Dash received a rival character in this episode that wasn't far from the dynamic Twilight and Trixie had, the biggest and only difference being Dash and Lightning Dust started off as friends. Lightning Dust's overly competitive, rude, uncaring character allowed Dash to evolve as a character, because it allowed her to see the glaring difference between competition and recklessness. Along with Sleepless in Ponyville, this episode brought Dash considerable character development. She quit the chance to become a Wonderbolt to her idols' face, for the sake of loyalty to her friends and her basic ethical morals. I know many people gained some respect for Dash this episode, and it's not hard to see why.

 

Apple Family Reuinion

Otherwise known as, 'Applejack finally learns a lesson'. While I admit that this episode was a bit lackluster in my eyes after the trio of amazingness that the previous three episodes brought, I will say that it was very nice to see AJ finally receive an episode where she was able to learn something. Part of her problem has always been that she's mature and level-headed, which, while good character components, make it hard for her to really shine in comparison to the other Mane Six who have flaws that make them stick out and relatable. But yeah. We got to see Babs again and AJ sung. Pretty good episode.

 

Spike at Your Service

Much like the previous episode, this was one of the lower points of the season for me. The plot seemed overly predictable and flat, and though this episode had a lot of good moments for the Mane Six when they interacted together (especially the amusing fake Timberwolf trick at the end), overall it felt a little bit filler-y. Not to mention that I absolutely hated the ending. Big bad Timberwolf gets killed by throwing a rock in its' mouth? What? Not only is that lazy, bad writing, but, excuse me Spike, you're a fire-breathing dragon fighting a creature made of bucking wood. TORCH THE BASTARD AND WATCH HIM SUFFER.

 

Keep Calm and Flutter On

Best villain returned this episode, and as a Discord fan of high magnitudes I enjoyed every line, visual gag and joke of his, throughout the entire thing. I too felt the ending was a bit rushed, but at the same time, I remain optimistic because I doubt we won't be seeing Discord again in the future, now that he is unstoned. I also think the writers did a fine job of making the Mane Six outside Fluttershy just unwilling to go through with this plan enough for it to make sense for the situation, but not over-the-top to a point that made them look like pricks. Discord -did- try and ruin their relationships, and the princess -did- drop him on their doorstep and say 'lol reform him plz'. I'd be against the idea at heart, too, if I wasn't the Element of Kindness.

 

Just for Sidekicks

OMFG DASHIE YOU'RE SO ADORABLE YOU NUZZLED TANK AND HNNNNNNG. This episode, not unlike Sleepless in Ponyville, had dawwww' moments all over the place. It was very, very cool to see all the pets again, and it was even more amusing to see Spike try and fail tot take care of them. I also wasn't expecting the CMC's involvement in the plot, so that was a rather interesting surprise. It didn't feel rushed at all, it had plenty of funny moments, and it did a great job of opening up our understanding for the following episode, which explained what the Mane Six were doing while this episode's antics were going on. I think the only nitpick I had with this episode was that I was thoroughly expecting Scootaloo and Dash to hug or something when the Mane Six returned to the train station. I mean, Sweetie hugged Rarity, and it showed both Apple Bloom and Scootaloo run by in the background, presumably towards their sisters. No follow-up Scootalove...oh well. In S4 for sure

 

Games Ponies Play

Honestly, this episode was pretty entertaining, and I think it, like the finale, receives a lot of misguided hate. It would have been nice if they didn't focus on the Mane Six entertaining the not-actual Games Inspector the entire time and actually show the games themselves somewhere, but for what the episode did do, it was worthwhile. Rarity got a role, the Mane Six got to shine together as a group in this episode as they often did back in Season 1, Dashie got to be awesome, and the ending was rather satisfactory, with the reasoning the actual Games Inspector used to announce their choice.

 

Magical Mystery Cure

 

Not focusing on Twilicorn, I really enjoyed this episode. The entire cutie mark switching storyline was well-done, and the choices for who got switched with who was incredibly entertaining. I also, unlike many people, enjoyed that this was practically a musical. All of the songs were meaningful, and emotional, and certainly worthy of being called some of the best ones this season. As far as Twilicorn goes, I'm optimistic, and interesting to see how S4's premiere carries off from where this cliffhanger ended. There isn't a whole lot left to be said on the matter :3

 

My Season Favorites (In order):

1. Sleepless in Ponyvlle ("Become like my big sister! x333")
2. Keep Calm and Flutter On ("Although I admit it makes rolling my eyes a challenge.")
3. Magic Duel (Bad-ass magic flyin' up in this shit)
4. Wonderbolts Academy ("I quit.")
5. Just for Sidekicks (Tank is Best Pet)
6. One Bad Apple ("Babs Seed, Babs Seed, what we gonna do"~)
7. The Crystal Empire (Yeeesss...cryyyssstaaaaals)
8. Games Ponies Play (Rainbow Dad is Best Stallion)
9. Magical Mystery Cure (Oh I just can't wait to have wiiiiings~)
10. Too many Pinkie Pies (Fun X192)
11. Apple Family Reunion (Dear Princess, today I learned that slave-driving ponies at reunions isn't a good idea.)
12. Spike at your Service (The bad ending made this go from an 'eh' episode to a 'worst this season' for me.)

Season Overview:

Season 3 is more or less my favorite season, because of all the things that became fulfilled for me in many of its' episodes. My favorite character got some great character development, my favorite villain returned and now has opportunities for future appearances, my favorite fan concept became canon and also has chances for future appearances, and Spitfire got a major role in an episode. It may have been shorter than the past two seasons, but that didn't stop me from enjoying it. Overall, the season had a very good opening, a fantastic middle, and an average to okay end. The first seven episodes were either good, or fantastic. Then, the remaining episodes ranged from good, to average to pretty bad. A good crop, overall, in my opinion. You can't hit the mark every time. We now have a cliffhanger for S4, and I can't wait to see the things S4 will bring us.

[Sugar Cube 4,843]

The Crystal Empire

I think a lot of fans thought the ending was weak and they disliked how the gang dealt with King Sombra so quickly, but I for one realize this is a young kid-oriented show, and I don't think it should take that long for the ponies to conquer an enemy. Especially since this was more about Twilight and how she passes her test. I for one LOVED this two-parter. The ending was great, the songs were amazing, and not overdone. And every member of the Mane Six had an important role. Any time Spike can prove himself useful I am happy. This episode had my eyes glued to the screen. Loved it.

 

Too Many Pinkie Pies

This is Pinkie's funniest episode yet. I'll be honest, her outings in season 2 were lackluster, especially Baby Cakes and MMMystery on the Friendship Express. This episode was funny from start to finish, and Pinkie learned a valuable lesson. This is one of what, two episodes this season where a letter to Celestia was written? Brownie points.

 

One Bad Apple

An episode about bullying was a great concept to touch upon at this point since bullying is pretty rampant. I thought Babs was a cute new character, and the song in this episode absolutely blew me away. This is one of, if not my favorite CMC episode.

 

Magic Duel

Trixie returns, meaning more S3 fanservice. I definitely enjoyed this episode a lot more than Boast Busters. I thought making Trixie nice at the end was a good call, and I think Twilight tricking Trixie with her magic and with the help of her friends was clever, and provided some great humor. Excellent episode.

 

Sleepless in Ponyville

Sigh. This is why Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash should have had an episode sooner. This episode displayed everything I love about the series. The character interactions, the humor, the sweet heartfelt moments, and Luna, of course. All the sisterly bonding was great as well. No complaints here. This is a top notch episode.

 

Wonderbolts Academy

The best Rainbow Dash episode since Sonic Rainboom. This episode reminded me why RD is so awesome. Her characterization was pretty perfect. Seeing Rainbow turn down the Wonderbolts to avoid being reckless was a pretty sweet moment. The rest of gang contributed some hilarious moments too. It was interesting to see Rainbow get matched in speed, but not in heart.

 

Apple Family Reunion

Applejack character development, some family backstory on Granny Smith, baby Applejack, a subtle nod to AJ's parents, and a catchy hoedown song made this episode a personal favorite of mine, and one of the highlights of the season. While the episode was lighter on humor, it was a much-needed character builder for Applejack and it did its job well.

 

Spike At Your Service

Okay, I actually liked this one. Maybe because I'm an AJ fan, but she was awesome in this episode. She was funny, she was tough, she was herself. But it's not just her. The whole cast brought this episode to life at the end. And I disagree with people who say Spike was out of character. I think the dragon code should have been explained better since Spike has been saved from life-threatening situations before, and all of a sudden he owes his life to Applejack for saving him? Pretty silly thing that could have been cleared up with better writing. Other than that though, he was just being Spike. He's not used to the kind of life Applejack lives, so he's not really cut out to help her as well as Twilight who he's been used to serving. From a sheer entertainment standpoint this episode delivered.

 

Keep Calm And Flutter On

I liked this episode, but I didn't love it. I thought the humor was a tad dry, Discord's change of heart was a little sudden and strange, and minor things irked me here and there. Still, this was Fluttershy's moment of glory this season and I thought she was perfect all throughout the episode.

 

Just For Sidekicks

Really forgettable episode. Spike constantly eating his gems despite knowing he needs them for his cake was just... too silly. It was nice to see the pets again, but nothing about this episode stood out. It was supposed to be funny and it just wasn't. Not a bad episode, but definitely among the weakest episodes of the season.

 

Games Ponies Play

I might need to watch this one again, but my first impression of it was not very good. The plot was one of the most predictable ones yet, and none of the humor stood out. Fluttershy and Applejack desperately needed more time in this ep because they felt borderline useless. Both this episode and the previous are just so filler. Not impressed with either of them.

 

Magical Mystery Cure

This was amazing. I can agree that the plot called for two episodes as opposed to one, but for what they had to cram into 22 minutes they did fantastic. It was a musical, and all of the songs get a thumbs up from me. A True True Friend is probably my favorite song in the series now. I'm not keen on the idea of Twilight being an Alicorn, but this episode was so well done that, had it been a series finale I would have been proud of it.

 

 

My order:

1. Sleepless in Ponyville

2. Magical Mystery Cure

3. Apple Family Reunion

4. The Crystal Empire (both parts)

5. Too Many Pinkie Pies

6. Magic Duel

7. Wonderbolts Academy

8. One Bad Apple

9. Spike At Your Service

10. Keep Calm and Flutter On

11. Just For Sidekicks

12. Games Ponies Play

 

Season 3 Overall Score: 9/10

Edited February 20, 2013 by Sugar Cube

[Batbrony 16,055]

Games Ponies Play

Honestly, this episode was pretty entertaining, and I think it, like the finale, receives a lot of misguided hate. It would have been nice if they didn't focus on the Mane Six entertaining the not-actual Games Inspector the entire time and actually show the games themselves somewhere, but for what the episode did do, it was worthwhile. Rarity got a role, the Mane Six got to shine together as a group in this episode as they often did back in Season 1, Dashie got to be awesome, and the ending was rather satisfactory, with the reasoning the actual Games Inspector used to announce their choice.

 

My hope is that at some point next season we might actually get an episode devoted to the Equestria Games.  Heck, that could potentially even be the season opener, or even, if the rumors prove to be true, the focus of the rumored MLP movie (which I assume would be made for TV, although I know the potential for the movie itself is a stretch).  Still, I'm quite hopeful that the Games will be the subject of at least one episode next season; it'd be awesome seeing how all the ponies would be involved!

 

Twilight might be helping the royals run the games, Applejack and Rainbow Dash might be actually competing, Rarity might help the Crystal Ponies with decorating the stadium, uniforms for athletes, etc., and Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie could either be in the crowd as spectators or make up some sort of cheering section (or even be trainers for competing Mane 6, lol, how funny would that be?  ).  Plus, we'd get to see the Crystal Empire again, along with Cadance, Shining Armour, and the Crystal Ponies, and there's certainly nothing wrong with that, now, is there? 

[Veylon 255]

So everyone is reviewing the season? Why not me too!

 

Crystal Empire: This one brings back memories of the Phantom Menace. So many epic moments, ideas, two songs, and a (potentially) great villain utterly fumbled by the plot. It's not so much that it lacks luster, but that nothing seems to fit together conceptually. I have no idea how this sort of thing happens. If I had to point at a shark-jumping moment, this would be it. Fortunately, things only go up from here.

 

Too Many Pinkie Pies: A fluff episode. I liked it. Pinkie is not my favorite character, but I always like to see her working her way through a bind.

 

One Bad Apple: There was a song in this one. A really good song. Beyond that...not much to say. I kind of wished we'd gotten a scene or two where the CMC actually did some bullying so that the anti-bullying message had some substance to back it up. The CMC haven't yet been played as the "bad" party and that'd be interesting to see.

 

Magic Duel: Hoo boy. I'm of two minds about this one. On the one hand, people have been looking forward to Trixie coming back since she left. One the other hand...why is everyone so hostile here? It's not like Trixie tried to burn down Ponyville last time or anything. It's not like Twilight actually showed Trixie up or humiliated her. I feel like I missed some intermediate episode.

 

The Duel itself was interesting as was the conclusion in which Twilight used tricks rather than getting a trump card to overpower her opponent. I felt like Trixie should've actually made the choice to reject the Alicorn Amulet rather than having Twilight trick her into giving it up, leaving her redemption a bit shallow.

 

Sleepless in Ponyville: I like the concept, but the execution left something to be desired. Why does Scootaloo, when afraid, flee alone into the scary forest? Rather than maybe clinging desperately to one of her friends instead? The actual wanderings seemed a little too (for lack of a better word) cartoony. I felt that Luna's intervention should've been more ambiguous  so that you could wonder whether or not it was actually some part of Scoot's subconscious.

 

Wonderbolt Academy: This one I really liked. We got an interesting new rival-type pony who out-Rainbows Rainbow, we got to see some neat Wonderbolts training stuff, and Rainbow Dash gets to make a moral choice.

 

Apple Family Reunion: When did Applejack turn into Rainbow Dash? Or is she channeling Twilight? Whoever she was acting like, it sure wasn't Applejack. Kind of an average episode.

 

Spike At Your Service: Why is poor Spike always so incompetent when he gets his own episode? I feel like this would've been better - both entertainment-wise and moral-wise - if he'd been good at what he did. Also: those Timberwolves are creepy and terrifying.

 

Keep Calm and Flutter On: Yep. Discord is ruined now. But he was never going to get out of that statue in a non-ruined state, so what can you do? The episode itself was far better than I would've expected with both Discord and Fluttershy playing Xanatos gambits at each other. Surprisingly clever and creative.

 

Just for Sidekicks: Another Spike episode and much better than the last one. This is when Spike should be having trouble: when he bites off more than he can chew by petsitting everyone's pets.

 

Game Ponies Play: I'm a little disappointed in this one. Okay, so they're planning to take the "Games Inspector" to see everything except something related to the games? And the B-plot is that Cadance's hair isn't done? Argh. I mean, I can see subverting it (and I thought they would) by having the Games Inspector go around behind the scenes and do the actual inspecting and thus be happy that she get it done without getting dragged around to various non-Games related stuff. I hope the actual Games episode that I hope they're building up to will be better. Because there's a lot of potential there.

 

Magical Mystery Cure: There's no way that Alicorn Twilight can make much sense. So someone said "make it a musical!" and then this episode happened. If I was approving of promoting Twilight to Princess and giving her wings, this episode did a fantastic job of making that event epic. Since I don't....I still think it was very good. I never got tired of the singing and swapping out the "destinies" of the ponies was an interesting idea. Like pretty much anything major in this show, the plot was rushed and there wasn't any time. I kind of have to mark off a few points on the dresses, though. Apparently Rarity wasn't at her best and they had to make do with Applejack's talents. I (and a lot of other people) had always viewed Twilight's princess attire to be the same yoke and crown affair that all the other princesses wear. It's odd to see that expectation bucked. I also strongly suspect that this was meant to end the series, not just the season.