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.