My Little Pony - Friendship Is Magic: Season 4 Top And Bottom 5

M.A. Larson sat out the fourth season to complete his novel Pennyroyal Academy, and as such it became the first series not to earn any ratings higher than four stars.  In his absence though, most of the other writers stepped to produce their best work, including some of the new additions.  Dave Polsky ended up with the lion’s share of five shows, and most of them were solid.  Amy Keating Rogers returned to pen both the best Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie episodes, while Meghan McCarthy’s opening and closing two-parters were far more successful than her previous efforts.  Josh Haber brought a realistic feel that fit the season perfectly and proved himself worthy of remaining on the staff, and even Merriwether Williams turned in one of her “best” episodes (in that it didn’t top the worst list).  Unfortunately, Scott Sonneborn and Natasha Levinger were both complete disasters, while McCarthy’s meddling ruined plenty of potentially decent outings.

These last three produced filler which destroyed the flow of a season that was surprisingly gripping at times.  Having an arc regarding finding six keys allowed for each mane six member to have their own special episode, and three of them were among the season’s top ratings.  After the Equestria Games hoopla was introduced in the previous season’s Games Ponies Play, that became a solid mini-arc as well.  These served to focus the season, and were unquestionably stronger than most of the other episodes that didn’t deal with these threads.  So even if no one specific episode matched the best efforts from previous seasons, the fourth was undoubtedly My Little Pony’s strongest overall to date.  With Larson’s return set for the fifth season and many other writers finally maturing, expectations have to be set rather high.  It is a great loss that Larson chose this particular season to sit out, but I must concern myself with the shows that were actually produced.  And there was plenty to like.

My Little Pony - Friendship Is Magic: Episodes 401-02 - Princess Twilight Sparkle

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One may consider it a certainty that a Meghan McCarthy penned episode will contain retcons and easy button solutions, so the fourth season premiere Twilight Princess Princess Twilight Sparkle doesn't disappoint in that area.  However, the introspective moments found in Equestria Girls also receive development here, and for the first time it appears that McCarthy is learning something as a writer on My Little Pony.  Eschewing a villain takes a page out of my book, and letting Twilight do a bit of time travel shows some Larson influence.  But like Equestria Girls, McCarthy's model for Princess Twilight is clearly the pilot, although the first half deals more with the potential splitting up of the mane six rather than their coming together.  Sticking rigidly to this format means the two-parter has pacing issues, with their big quest and many revelations coming only in the second half.  These problems plagued McCarthy and her story editing staff last season as well, and her writing again relies too heavily on clichés.  However, focusing on the three princesses and avoiding her other problems (the royal couple was not missed) has produced McCarthy's most successful episode in a long time.  She's not quite able to match Larson’s epicness despite clearly trying, but unmistakably pushes a feel of trying to make the fourth season bigger and better than the previous three.  Even if it doesn't last very long, Princess Twilight Sparkle is as good of a start as could have been expected.

My Little Pony - Friendship Is Magic: Episodes 425-26 - Twilight's Kingdom

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Despite the fourth season premiere promising a massive arc of a quest, Twilight admits at the beginning of Twilight’s Kingdom that it hasn’t ended up happening.  Meghan McCarthy’s second two-parter finally wraps up this story, with her usual dose of yet another retconned villain, an easy solution, and a plot that feels borrowed from a fanfic.  Nevertheless, it is as focused and watchable as her earlier effort, since pushing the series forward helps gloss over more problematic writing.  After Twilight wonders about and then demands a purpose, an old ape-centaur picks that moment to wander into town and start stealing magic.  This extremely creepy process is repeated many times, while Twilight’s eventual battle with him also pushes the show into areas it probably shouldn’t go.  After finally acquiring all the dollars magic in Equestria, Lord Tirek is quickly defeated by a big ball of friendship that sprouts up a new castle for Twilight afterwards.  That was easy.  Songs are mercifully kept to a minimum (which doesn’t seem likely when the first filler one hits less than five minutes in), and having promise of a slightly different direction for the series is somewhat exciting.  But this is a second straight season finale that expects us to ignore all the problems as it pushes toward its goal.  McCarthy may have slightly relaxed her writing idiosyncrasies in the fourth season, but like Discord, she isn’t quite there yet.

My Little Pony - Friendship Is Magic: Episode 424 - Equestria Games

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After a run of filler to meet an apparently too large episode requirement, season four regains its focus with the previously hyped Equestria Games.  Dave Polsky takes something of a risk by not showing the events but Spike’s adventures around them instead.  The dragon has ironically become something of a hero in the Crystal Empire after Twilight crapped out on saving them, but he finds it hard to capitalize on his celebrity.  Stage fright hits Spike hard after being asked to light the Olympic torch, and attempts to atone for this just get worse.  Like in Power Ponies, he gets a contrived moment of redemption which prevents his future suicide, and this absurd scene really undermines the episode.  Thankfully the surrounding material works better, including Spike’s hilarious attempt at singing Cloudsdale’s anthem.  Polsky remembers to pay off Rainbow Falls’ buildup with the relay race, although it still remains something of a secondary afterthought.  Considering how sports were shown in Fall Weather Friends, and that we really only care about one of the competitors, this is almost certainly a wise choice.  Even if another episode devoted to poor Spike discovering fake self-worth isn’t really necessary, Equestria Games at least feels like it has a point and is part of the fourth season’s storyline.  That focus and tone help the parts which aren’t quite so strong.

My Little Pony - Friendship Is Magic: Equestria Girls

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My expectations when the Equestria Girls project was announced were unsurprisingly low, which no doubt colors this review a bit.  Despite hoping to skip a possible spin-off series, the movie that ended up coming out unfortunately features the entire My Little Pony crew and takes place directly after the third season finale.  That means it’s canon even if the series proper doesn't reference any events.  Professional retconner Meghan McCarthy took charge of the scripts herself, and at least she’s more competent than certain other writers on the staff.  With a plethora of unnecessary archetype characters and incredibly easy plot resolutions again on tap, this new movie was not likely a worthwhile use of my apparently dirt cheap time.

Naturally then, Equestria Girls is surprisingly enjoyable and easily better than most of McCarthy’s two-parters for the series.  Unfortunately, the same problems found in A Canterlot Wedding and The Crystal Empire are still present, which includes yet another retconned character and a dire situation that just works itself out somehow.  However, these are eased by scenes of Twilight actually having to deal her recent addition of wings and royal duties along with the dynamics of the Equestria Girls high school being in a parallel dimension.  Not that they solve everything (and the bland songs add nothing to what’s going on), but Equestria Girls has a depth that was missing from McCarthy’s earlier work.

My Little Pony - Friendship Is Magic: Episode 420 - Leap Of Faith

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Faith was already tackled as a subject by Dave Polsky in the first season, and those results were rather dreadful.  Josh Haber’s second go around succeeds by generalizing it more, and with no less than the Apple Family and Flim Flam Brothers for characters.  The former much maligned stars get a decent episode by just being themselves and finally feeling like a family.  Haber keeps Applejack and Apple Bloom under control, while treating Granny Smith as much more than comic relief.  She ends up experiencing youth again thanks to the returning brothers, who have appropriately moved into selling a cure-all tonic.  Although the family is a bit dense throughout, Applejack soon discovers it’s a fake and must decide whether to ruin Granny Smith’s rejuvenation.  This simple tale straight out of the old west is an accurate metaphor for religion, since what’s the harm if it makes you feel better to believe?  Rather than insisting that unexplainable things must mean the existence of a higher power, Haber asks how important the quest for truth is.  Perhaps Applejack has to find as she does, even if her character not being religious is doubtful.  Still, instead of pushing one side or the other, Haber explores the philosophical aspect without needing either to be true.  Combine this with a reasonable Apple Family portrayal, and Leap Of Faith is easily the best episode focusing on them even despite a few suspect moments.

My Little Pony - Friendship Is Magic: Episode 422 - Trade Ya

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I’ll trade ya Scott Sonneborn, Natasha Levinger, and Merriwether Williams for M.A. Larson.  Sound fair?  Obviously not, but I hope to god that’s the plan.  Sonneborn’s Trade Ya finds our ponies attending a swap meet because…well I really don’t know why.  They sort of trade their junk for more junk, and then everyone can forget this ever occurred.  While not as painful as other bad episodes, Trade Ya is nevertheless fairly dull.  Nothing really happens, and it’s impossible to find anything good to say about the outing.  These kind of filler half-hours are apparently always going to exist in 26-episode seasons, but that doesn’t stop them from being disappointing.  I’d rather have less if so, but better writers can elevate bad premises into something at least decent.  Sonneborn has not shown that ability, although this one was tougher than usual.  Still, Trade Ya does nothing to justify Sonneborn remaining on the staff, and like Twilight and her books, there are clearly too many and someone has to go.

My Little Pony - Friendship Is Magic: Episode 423 - Inspiration Manifestation

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Well, it was only a matter of time before My Little Pony tackled drug addiction, I guess.  There’s not much other way to see Inspiration Manifestation, which finds Rarity taking some crystal meth and not sleeping for days on end while she improves the fashion quality of Ponyville.  I mean, it was the book that did it.  Corey Powell and Meghan McCarthy combine to produce an episode that is far below either of their standards, as IM (like Trade Ya before it) goes nowhere and has little plot.  Knowing who to blame is again difficult, but I can guess where the that-was-easy plot solutions come from!  Rarity finishes her story early and has two acts to roam around town creating havoc and looking crazy, but then time runs out so Spike quickly puts an end to everything.  There is no fun from Rarity’s actions, and drug addiction can apparently be cured by one intervention and a snap of the fingers.  By the way, Meghan McCarthy is also the story editor tasked with overseeing every single episode of the series.  M.A. Larson sadly remains Sir Not-Appearing-In-This-Season.

My Little Pony - Friendship Is Magic: Episode 421 - Testing, Testing 1, 2, 3

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Testing, who wants to learn how to take a test?  Not me, and certainly not Rainbow Dash either.  Fortunately I’m long out of school, but Dash isn’t so lucky even though she probably is too.  There’s a test coming up as part of some Wonderbolts initiation, and Twilight is only too happy to help Dash study.  Yay!  Amy Keating Rogers takes an idea it feels like she had from the first season, and fleshes out the final two acts to make a decent episode.  It starts off as a Rainbow vs. Twilight funfest, with the second fastest pony goofing off in extremely ADD fashion during class.  Thankfully much of this actually is funny.  Then the rest of the mane six get involved, trying other unsuccessful ways to learn Dash the material.  Testing, Testing metamorphosizes here into an honest look at how some students may need a different method from the usual highlighting and flash card cramming.  Dash’s preferred choice is a little unorthodox, and telegraphed early enough that the reveal isn’t surprising at all.  Despite a heavy dose of Twilight flying, the character interactions feel like we jumped into a time machine.  Testing, Testing doesn’t really have a place in the fourth season, since its lesson is vastly different from the surrounding episodes.  But it also wouldn’t have been as good either, because some of the best moments come from Pinkie’s early ‘90s rap video and Rarity’s flamboyantly retro costumes; touches that probably don’t come off any earlier.  Even though it congeals into a nice effort, Testing, Testing is a bit too much dumbed-down educational video to count as a good episode.  That Rogers could find something from a silly premise though proves that her return to the writing staff is most welcome.

My Little Pony - Friendship Is Magic: Episode 419 - For Whom The Sweetie Belle Toils

 

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Rarely does a character in a show agree with me about how poorly it is going and then step in to do something.  Luna has enough of another dreadful first act featuring Rarity and Sweetie Belle, and with one pronouncement changes the episode’s course.  Not that it’s drastic enough to make for a good outing, but Luna does save For Whom The Sweetie Belle Toils from the dire fate to which it was headed.  Dave Polsky’s second straight Cutie Mark Crusader episode is surprisingly unoriginal, and fails to improve on the horrid sisters dynamic between the two stars.  But growth is a major theme for season four, and hopefully Sweetie Belle finally learns the error of her disastrous ways regarding her big sis.

My Little Pony - Friendship Is Magic: Episode 418 - Maud Pie

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As little sense as it might make, brothers and sisters are often completely different people despite being closer in DNA than to anyone else.  Maud Pie takes this to the extreme, since Pinkie Pie’s sister is literally her exact opposite.  She’s frustratingly restrained, and the episode mirrors the mane six’s feelings toward this.  They struggle to befriend her, which means the action and plot fail to get off the ground.  But yet, this is clearly by design.  Noelle Benvenuti’s first effort for the series feels as different as Maud does, although the characterization is always extremely accurate.  Maud Pie may not be the great episode it theoretically could have been, but instead is the episode it needs to be.  The mane six can tell Maud is worth befriending, but her secluded life on the rock farm has produced someone very different from Ponyville’s population, and they can’t quite relate to her despite superficially having a lot in common.  The only thing disappointing about Maud is that we don’t get to learn more about her, although she’s clearly someone who will always remain on the outside.  With a different feel and lack of a satisfying resolution, Maud Pie could easily be disliked for many reasons which I often complain about.  But it’s actually very well done despite appearances, and is one of the few successfully executed episodes of the series.  Like the title character, Maud Pie knows exactly what it is and doesn’t particularly care if you don’t like that.

My Little Pony - Friendship Is Magic: Episode 417 - Somepony To Watch Over Me

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Rainbow Dash finally achieved a renaissance after a string of bad episodes featuring her in the second season, and the Apple family badly needs the same.  No other group has been just downright boring, and they’re the stars of another clunker here.  Somepony To Watch Over Me ruins a potentially good premise with painful filler, which is much worse than the regular kind.  Like other bad episodes in the series, it pretends to arrive at a lesson without actually doing so.  Scott Sonneborn is another newcomer to the writing staff who deserves a pink slip upon the return of a certain other member.  He can’t complain about getting stuck with a bad premise or impossible characters, as the lesson is one every family must deal with at some point.  Apple Bloom is finally going to stay home alone, so the older members of her family are understandably fretting.  But that could be too much fun, so it only lasts for about a minute.  Most of the episode consists of Applejack being annoyingly stupid; an aspect difficult to stomach in Apple Family Reunion that is no better now.  Then there’s a fight scene with an absurd three-headed monster, but Applejack spoils the key to victory moments before the battle happens.  Apple Bloom is legitimately close to being killed, but Applejack decides that she’s somehow ready after all.  Completely believable.  Somepony To Watch Over Me is dull and painful, and has no redeeming features whatsoever.

My Little Pony - Friendship Is Magic: Episode 416 - It Ain’t Easy Being Breezies

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Fluttershy already had her special episode with Filli Vanilli, so the actual one chosen for this honor probably wasn’t going to measure up.  Natasha Levinger’s first outing for My Little Pony was the filler-filled dud Pinkie Apple Pie, and unfortunately, that’s the main problem with her second episode as well.  It Ain’t Easy Being Breezies is meant to introduce a new species first mentioned in Three’s A Crowd (and a reboot from earlier MLP incarnations), but there isn’t really much to say once you see them.  They’re dragonfly-sized ponies who speak some version of Swedish, but otherwise are the same as normal ponies.  The main goal for them is to get home, which just takes flying with a breeze across Equestria.  Mostly the problems are evident by how long it takes simple events to happen.  Fluttershy makes sure to explain everything carefully throughout the teaser and first act, and the journey seems pretty much done by the end of it.  But we have 14 minutes to fill, so of course Spike does something stupid to screw up the plan.  With the Pegasi still around, they could just create another breeze and send the wayward Breezies back home.  But no, they’re not ready yet.  Wait until the 20-minute mark at least.  There’s so much stretching that the various emotional points feel manufactured, as it’s really difficult to care about a group of ponies we’ve never seen before.  Nothing new is learned from Fluttershy either, who again breaks out the stare (after getting angry in defense of a hurt friend) and delivers her trademark quiet “yay”.  With no growth found in an episode supposedly devoted to it, “Breezies” marks Levinger’s second consecutive flop.

My Little Pony - Friendship Is Magic: Episode 415 - Twilight Time

 

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Finally, a writer who gets me!  Dave Polsky offers an exposé of celebrity culture in Twilight Time, and his efforts definitely hit home.  I can understand how Twilight felt after I moved out to California.  You spend years working in obscurity and nobody gives a shit, then suddenly one thing turns around and now they won’t leave you alone.  People think that being famous can just rub off on you, and fine, that’s true for some.  But I had to work hard for this and still do, yet Americans again always want something quick and easy that isn’t either.  Twilight Sparkle hasn’t really been a celebrity on the series, but she probably should be given the whole princess thing.  This episode essentially documents her “discovery”, which means she won’t be able to hide in the library anymore.  Oh, how I wish I could too.  The Cutie Mark Crusaders try using a tenuous connection to the mane six to increase their rock-bottom popularity at school, while fashion bloggers Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon just want to be in the orbit of anyone who could promote their status.  Polsky’s lucky not to get sued for these depictions, because I know certain people who are exactly like what we see here.  I’m not dumb enough to name them, but his disdain is shared.  Such is the life we choose. I suppose.  Although I’d never give back the perks, being famous is far from the care-free life most people think it must be.  Having money is nice, but that only makes bloodsuckers sprout up around you.  Unlike any other episode of the series, Twilight Time knows this.

My Little Pony - Friendship Is Magic: Episode 414 - Filli Vanilli

 

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Even though all of the ponies have fantastic singing voices and regularly break out into song, never before has this music ever been the subject of an episode.  Fluttershy awakens to a beautiful day, and intones a surprisingly idyllic orchestral lied.  The part is a bit more acrobatic than usual, but nothing atypical of previous tunes.  This could just be a filler setup to a boring episode, but then Fluttershy notices her friends had watched at least part of the performance.  They are all impressed and extremely supportive, although she is mortified.  Filli Vanilli may have to retcon in a musical group, but it is a shockingly good exploration of Fluttershy’s character.  Included in this are her stage fright and subsequent joy at performing (not quite) in front of an audience.  As a developing theme for the fourth season, Amy Keating Rogers looked back to her own Bridle Gossip in producing a Ponyville take on the final part of Singin’ In The Rain (later echoed in real life by the Milli Vanilli lip-synching scandal from the late 1980s).  But there is less deception and no ill-will toward the character behind the image.  Fluttershy is offered a part in the group early on, and only hides the truth out of shyness.  Even though we’ve seen this plot before, Rogers finds new interest with a second consecutive strong lesson and more incredibly assorted work in the animation.  Filli Vanilli joins Pinkie Pride in being a musical episode with a different feel from normal, but the consistent tone is completely dissimilar in a good way.  Few shows can equal how joyful it is to watch.

My Little Pony - Friendship Is Magic: Episode 413 - Simple Ways

 

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So naturally Simple Ways is the converse of the previous episode, Pinkie Pride.  The story is one I enjoy much more, but unfortunately it isn’t executed as successfully.  Simple Ways is at least a far better relationship episode than Hearts And Hooves Day, and deals with the common problem of unreciprocated love.  Unfortunately, the episode loses itself partway through and never really recovers.  That doesn’t mean there aren’t a number of hilarious moments, as Rarity and Applejack perform something of a willing Freaky Friday.  But too much time is spent with this instead of focusing on the plot, and most of these scenes are far from the best parts.  Then we need a quick resolution, so everything turns out fine after all.  Sure.  At least Simple Ways has one of the best lessons ever aired, and does point out the futility of “changing” yourself rather quickly.  Josh Haber succeeded in Castle Mane-ia by bringing a realistic feel to the proceedings, and that was called for here as well.  He got swept up by the gimmick though and just couldn’t bring enough substance for a better rating.  Even with the good moments, Simple Ways needed a different direction than what was taken.

My Little Pony - Friendship Is Magic: Episode 412 - Pinkie Pride

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Pinkie Pride has to be an episode that will rank among the favorites for most fans of the series.  It’s pieced together from a number of earlier episodes, but outdoes all the sources.  Most of the opening is basically a reprise of A Friend In Deed, and the wall-to-wall songs are a second attempt at a failed facet from Magical Mystery Cure.  Pinkie Pie reminisces about her earlier parties (seen in the pilot, Party Of One, The Cutie Mark Chronicles, and A Canterlot Wedding), and the teaser has a surprise shoutout to Over A Barrel.  A depressed and introspective Pinkie was also seen during Too Many Pinkie Pies, and the goof-off nature of the episode arguably has roots in Griffon The Brush-Off.  But by not trying to do too much, these parts all fit together quite nicely.  Despite a surprise story credit from series director Jayson Thiessen, Pinkie Pride is basically handed over to the animation and music departments, who again pack in a season’s worth of work.  The songs’ inspirations are as varied as the story’s (with “inspiration” often meaning stolen), but their up-tempo nature pushes them through.  Even though they are in the Broadway style of narrating action, the episode calls out for this many songs much more than Magical Mystery Cure did.  If the big-budget aspects were all there are to Pinkie Pride, the episode wouldn’t rate nearly so highly, but Amy Keating Rogers finds time to explore Pinkie’s character in the midst of all the partying.  Everyone else suffers as a result, and there’s an odd feel of detachment throughout.  But Pinkie Pride is mostly meant as a good time, and few episodes of the series can count as successes in this particular area.  Maybe it’s not my personal idea of one, but the spirit cannot be denied.

My Little Pony - Friendship Is Magic: Episode 411 - Three's A Crowd

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Q always had a knack for showing up at a moment where he was least wanted, but his visits were still generally interesting and improved the show.  Discord usually has a similar effect, but that streak comes to an end during Three’s A Crowd.  An episode that could have been about character interaction moves into curing Discord of a fake sickness, and nothing much comes from this development.  Instead of a lesson about friendship, we learn Discord is a child who’s going to need attention now and then whenever he gets bored.  Yes, Q was technically the same way, but his abilities led Star Trek: TNG viewers to discover the Borg, learn about Picard’s past, see the Continuum, observe what Riker would be like as a Q, and have an adventure concerning a paradox in three different timelines.  As an omnipotent being, Q never got sick though, so clearly this was an area that needed exploring.  I know I enjoy watching people coughing and sneezing on others in an attempt to pass along their ailment.  Oh wait.  Three’s A Crowd is both filler and an absolute waste of Discord and John de Lancie’s talents.  With no lesson or discernible point, the episode is lucky not to be rated even lower.

My Little Pony - Friendship Is Magic: Episode 410 - Rainbow Falls

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Corey Powell’s lone solo effort for season four echoes the previously heralded Sleepless In Ponyville in that the episode veers wildly between boring, clichéd, and some of the best moments ever aired on the series.  Rainbow Falls takes a while to get going though, as the first two acts fail to inspire much interest in these qualifiers for the Equestria Games.  But the third act is shockingly better, even if it’s not quite enough to elevate the rest.  Powell’s take on sports is a bit more accurate and surprisingly prescient.  Rainbow Dash’s decision between dominating with the supergroup Wonderbolts or trying to win with a lesser team at home definitely mirrors Lebron James’ 2014 decision to return to Cleveland.  Perhaps this episode inspired the King, even though that also includes the last minute replacement.  The third act changes tone as the snarky, win-at-all-costs Cloudsdale team morphs into a group cheering for everyone to do their best.  No doubt this is a utopian ideal, but it also reflects the series’ spirit better than most episodes.  Rainbow Falls might not be entirely believable and the humor is a bit suspect, but characterization (once again) and tone take the day, even if Ponyville only qualifies because of a magic countdown stopwatch.

My Little Pony - Friendship Is Magic: Episode 221 - Dragon Quest

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Hate might be too strong a word to describe how I feel about Dragon Quest.  The premise had potential, and there are a number of fun moments.  But Merriwether Williams’ writing skills were still too raw at this point, as the charac­ters feel like broad stereotypes of themselves and the episode de­volves into a slapstick fest.  Spike’s “journey” is actually hanging out and playing games with the guys, and he doesn’t really learn much other than that dragons really do suck.  Big questions like “who am I?” and “where do I belong in this world?” are quickly swept under the rug in favor of dra­gons hitting the ground while knocking over a tree.  As soon as Spike thinks he might like to stay with the dragons, TV law wins out, and out­side forces ensure he returns to the starting point.  A potentially important episode ends up being a “funny” one, but there really isn’t much to laugh at.

My Little Pony - Friendship Is Magic: Episode 222 - Hurricane Fluttershy

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Man, I hate meetings.  Such a waste of time to go over things you already know, and any announcements are never good.  They always say you have to be there, but it’s never true.  Meetings are really only a way for companies to feel good about themselves, or at least to cover their asses in ad­vance of the inevitable complaints or lawsuits.  They show how smart and better the people in charge are over the lowly peons at the bottom, while wasting the money to pay them for not doing any work.

The meeting in Hurricane Fluttershy details how creating a tornado is beneficial for the country.  This really must be a fantasy show if making a life-threatening, property destroying natural phenomenon is a good thing.  Maybe this was like that one Star Trek: TNG episode where the Q had to kill that family because they tried to live as humans.  Maybe there were a few undesirables in Equestria that needed to be wiped out, and the rest of the residents would be better off after it.

My Little Pony - Friendship Is Magic: Episode 312 - Games Ponies Play

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Absurd as it may seem, Twilight’s method of calming herself down in Games Ponies Play can actually be quite effective.  She is tasked with entertaining a games inspector as the Crystal Empire bids for the Equestria Games, and naturally everything goes wrong.  For once, Cadance has something useful to offer her former ward, and the relaxing extended hoof allows Twilight to keep everything under control, or so she thinks.  The mane six pick up the wrong pony at the train station, while Rarity is confusingly tasked with doing Cadance’s hair for the occasion.  Thankfully, Twilight doesn’t allow herself to freak out despite being in put in charge of more than she probably should.  Worrying about such things not only helps the undesired to happen, but it also stands in the way of becoming better.  Dave Polsky’s fourth writing credit of the season may be bogged down by headshaking moments, but it has enough fun and intelligence to make for a solid effort overall.

My Little Pony - Friendship Is Magic: Episodes 225-26 - A Canterlot Wedding

 

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A Canterlot Wedding is probably always going to be an episode that many people will love, but not one I ever will.  It tries very hard to be epic, but without actually knowing how to do so.  A typical old boring retconned wed­ding isn’t interesting enough for a big season finale, so they added a bizarre evil enchantress that feels exactly like The Little Mermaid in the beginning and Star Wars by the end.  There are enough Broadway songs to qualify the show for the Tonys, a mind control plot that feels like it’s been seen hundreds of times, and yet another ridicu­lously strong villain that goes down incredibly easily and quickly.  A Canterlot Wedding could have been an episode that explored Twilight’s family dynamic, or at the very least dealt with the life changes that come with getting older and/or married.  But all of it was swept under the rug in favor of a di­rect-to-DVD Disney movie.  The premise was good, and all of the new­ness around is enough to keep it above the sadly numerous terrible epi­sodes in the second season.  But the unnecessary plot additions are too much, so that even an hour-long show feels very rushed with all it tries to accomplish.

My Little Pony - Friendship Is Magic: Episode 313 - Magical Mystery Cure

 

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M.A. Larson’s second outing of the third season is one hot mess of an episode that strives for no less than to summarize the entire series up to this point and completely redefine it going forward.  While Magic Duel could perhaps have used another 5-10 minutes or so, Magical Mystery Cure is very clearly a two-parter that has been smashed and stripped into a hurried 21+ minutes.  There are a lot of potential points to be explored, but no time for any of them, so the episode literally montages through the entire plot.  Larson is still without peer on the writing staff despite a couple of other members stepping it up, so it’s odd that he’s basically only a co-writer here.  Daniel Ingram turned in a season’s worth of songs for this one episode, and wrote most of the lyrics too.  Magical Mystery Cure is as much his as Larson’s, but he’s never been a compelling enough composer to make the series’ first musical episode a worthwhile idea.  His style produces second-rate Broadway or pop songs, which sound like something you’ve heard better before rather than anything original.  Fortunately for him, I don’t expect as much as I do from Larson, and Ingram’s songs are definitely passable.  They don’t distract from what is going on and are even almost emotional in spots, but it probably would have been better if there was more actual episode between them (such as in the second season finale).  Magical Mystery Cure is definitely a disappointment on first viewing, as it could have been so much more than what it is.  These problems ease on a second time through, since the strong cinematic tone produces a number of fine moments.  Most musicals are long for a reason though, and the decision to keep Magical Mystery Cure in one part is ultimately what keeps it from being the great episode it was clearly intended to be.  Larson’s talents are wasted, and what little work he is able to show is not his best.  Even a sub-par effort from him is better than most of the writing on the series, so Magical Mystery Cure somehow pulls through despite the flaws and its controversial and possibly unnecessary plot developments.

My Little Pony - Friendship Is Magic: Episode 408 - Rarity Takes Manehattan

Rating:

With M.A. Larson on hiatus during the fourth season, Dave Polsky had to do for a writer to look forward to.  And do he did.  Rarity Takes Manehattan is the first in depth look at Rarity’s life in the fashion world since season two’s Sweet And Elite, and the fourth season’s realistic feel make this positively gripping at times.  Apparently Rarity has been busy since then, as she has earned an invite to New York Fashion Week without needing to go through all of Project Runway first.  Everyone’s invited, and they’re also going to check out some crappy musical that’s totally awesome too.  The outsides are very strong, including a song that actually works well within the episode.  Unfortunately, RTM suffers in the middle with the introduction of some stereotypical characters (although fashion types like them almost certainly exist) and the plotline of Rarity’s fabric getting stolen.  Besides that though, Rarity remains My Little Pony’s most compelling character, and this is the first episode since Suited For Success that takes advantage of it.  There really wasn’t much of a need to introduce a plot, but thankfully it remains ancillary.  Like Castle Mane-ia, Polsky lets most of the episode evolve naturally, which is significantly better than forcing the action to fit the moral.  Also wonderful is Polsky’s sense of humor, which both made fun of how awkward some of the previous songs were and found an unexpected title drop.  Rarity Takes Manehattan just isn’t consistent enough to earn a better rating, but the good parts find the perfect tone that makes the fourth season stand out.  Even if Polsky’s fashion knowledge comes from TV, his characterization is from the heart.

My Little Pony - Friendship Is Magic: Episode 409 - Pinkie Apple Pie

Rating:

For the first time since she joined the writing staff, Merriwether Williams hasn’t written the worst episode of the season.  Whether Natasha Levinger or the premise is to blame is uncertain, but Pinkie Apple Pie is literally comprised of filler.  Pinkie discovers that she might be a distant relation of the Apple family from Twilight, but a smudge in the genealogy records casts some doubt.  The Apples go on a journey to find that there’s another smudge in a different book, so they still don’t know.  Great.  Along the way, they get justifiably angry with each other, but not enough to break up or something.  Ostensibly the episode is about families sticking together through the tough times, but these weren’t really bad enough for the Apple family to be in jeopardy.  I had also hoped Pinkie Apple Pie might be the adoption episode which must be coming, but that wasn’t the case either.  Essentially, there is no point to Pinkie Apple Pie, and it’s more painful than any episode since the second season.  Unlike the previous outing, even two stars might be a bit generous.