My Little Pony Friendship is Magic

Favourite pony out of the main bunch?

  • Twilight Sparkle

    Votes: 25 16.7%

  • Pinkie Pie

    Votes: 28 18.7%

  • Applejack

    Votes: 13 8.7%

  • Rainbow Dash

    Votes: 31 20.7%

  • Rarity

    Votes: 18 12.0%

  • Fluttershy

    Votes: 35 23.3%
  • Total voters
    150
The Earth ponies in the main cast look like Peach and Daisy, only they're pony-ified, and one of the Pegasi is almost like Sonic.
 
What makes you say that? I only wonder because I would have never made that connection, and I'm interested to understand how you came to that conclusion. After all, Daisy and Peach look nothing like either of the Earth ponies to me, though I do see the connection between Rainbow Dash and Sonic.
 
I just watched the first 4 Season 7 episodes. I thought All Bottled Up and Rock Solid Friendship were pretty good but Celestial Advice had too much exposition and Flurry of Emotions was too close to Baby Cakes for me. Will continue my thoughts.
 
Yesterday, I watched My Little Pony: Equestria Girls (2013) for the first time.

Twilight Sparkle started the film struggling to adjust to her newly acquired wings, and I felt very concerned for her before Sunset Shimmer sneaked in to try stealing her crown. Sunset Shimmer has a really cool design, and her personality is very similar to Regina George from Mean Girls (2004). Once Sunset jumped into the portal, Twilight goes after her, but her friends can't join because it could cause a power imbalance. The mirror portals are very similar to the Dimension Mirrors from Kirby and The Amazing Mirror, and the Elements of Harmony losing power if the crown is stolen was reminiscent of the Ideya's functionality in Nights Into Dreams.

Twilight only has three days to try getting her crown back, much like Link saving Clock Town in Majora's Mask. When Twilight turns into a human, she has trouble adjusting to the world around her, and Spike becomes a wisecracking animal sidekick that helps her out at times. Although Twilight's first day at school didn't go well, she did stand up to Sunset Shimner in front of Fluttershy, met Pinkie Pie and Applejack, and fell in love with a cute rocker kid by the name of Flash Sentry.

One scene I didn't like was when Twilight Sparkle was insulted by Sunset Shimmer after she announced her run for Fall Formal Princess. She didn't fight back at all, though once she realized she wasn't fitting in, she tried to improve her behavior and reputation around Canterlot High. This resulted in meeting Rarity and Rainbow Dash, as well as getting the rest of the Humane Six back together after Sunset Shimmer seperated them prior to the events of the film.

I really like the scenes when the Humane Six are getting ready for the Fall Formal and getting the other students to support Twilight Sparkle's cause. Although Sunset Shimmer is having Snips and Snails spy on them, the group makes such a huge impact that even her cronies are in favor of Twilight. However, when Sunset sends her lackeys to destroy Pinkie Pie's decorations, she tries to frame Twilight by photoshopping a picture of her playing soccor/football to make it seem like she was responsible. Flash Sentry ends up saving her from this fate, though Twilight has to get the festival back in order before it's too late and make sure her friends understand her reason for running as Fall Formal Princess.

Once everything is back in order, the festival begins and Twilight Sparkle wins, but not without Sunset Shimmer trying to steal the crown for herself. The Humane Six and Spike attempt to stop her, but once Sunset gets her hands on Twilight's element, she turns into a demon princess and hypnotizes the students into her command. Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity comfort Twilight, which allows them to transform and defeat Sunset once and for all.

The songs in this movie are all really catchy, and although Twilight had to say goodbye to her new friends and return to Equestria, she was given a warm welcome by the rest of the Mane Six when she arrived home. I'd give this film a 9/10. It's an easy reccomend for any fans of MLP, and fantasy high school films in general. Personally, I had a lot of fun watching this, and now I'm curious to see what the rest of the Equestria Girls series has to offer.
 
Charmy Bee said:
Yesterday, I watched My Little Pony: Equestria Girls (2013) for the first time.

Twilight Sparkle started the film struggling to adjust to her newly acquired wings, and I felt very concerned for her before Sunset Shimmer sneaked in to try stealing her crown. Sunset Shimmer has a really cool design, and her personality is very similar to Regina George from Mean Girls (2004). Once Sunset jumped into the portal, Twilight goes after her, but her friends can't join because it could cause a power imbalance. The mirror portals are very similar to the Dimension Mirrors from Kirby and The Amazing Mirror, and the Elements of Harmony losing power if the crown is stolen was reminiscent of the Ideya's functionality in Nights Into Dreams.

Twilight only has three days to try getting her crown back, much like Link saving Clock Town in Majora's Mask. When Twilight turns into a human, she has trouble adjusting to the world around her, and Spike becomes a wisecracking animal sidekick that helps her out at times. Although Twilight's first day at school didn't go well, she did stand up to Sunset Shimner in front of Fluttershy, met Pinkie Pie and Applejack, and fell in love with a cute rocker kid by the name of Flash Sentry.

One scene I didn't like was when Twilight Sparkle was insulted by Sunset Shimmer after she announced her run for Fall Formal Princess. She didn't fight back at all, though once she realized she wasn't fitting in, she tried to improve her behavior and reputation around Canterlot High. This resulted in meeting Rarity and Rainbow Dash, as well as getting the rest of the Humane Six back together after Sunset Shimmer seperated them prior to the events of the film.

I really like the scenes when the Humane Six are getting ready for the Fall Formal and getting the other students to support Twilight Sparkle's cause. Although Sunset Shimmer is having Snips and Snails spy on them, the group makes such a huge impact that even her cronies are in favor of Twilight. However, when Sunset sends her lackeys to destroy Pinkie Pie's decorations, she tries to frame Twilight by photoshopping a picture of her playing soccor/football to make it seem like she was responsible. Flash Sentry ends up saving her from this fate, though Twilight has to get the festival back in order before it's too late and make sure her friends understand her reason for running as Fall Formal Princess.

Once everything is back in order, the festival begins and Twilight Sparkle wins, but not without Sunset Shimmer trying to steal the crown for herself. The Humane Six and Spike attempt to stop her, but once Sunset gets her hands on Twilight's element, she turns into a demon princess and hypnotizes the students into her command. Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity comfort Twilight, which allows them to transform and defeat Sunset once and for all.

The songs in this movie are all really catchy, and although Twilight had to say goodbye to her new friends and return to Equestria, she was given a warm welcome by the rest of the Mane Six when she arrived home. I'd give this film a 9/10. It's an easy reccomend for any fans of MLP, and fantasy high school films in general. Personally, I had a lot of fun watching this, and now I'm curious to see what the rest of the Equestria Girls series has to offer.
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I'm so happy to read this, Toadette. The film is very close to my heart so it's heartwarming to see a friend sharing my love of this movie.
 
Charmy Bee said:
Yesterday, I watched My Little Pony: Equestria Girls (2013) for the first time.

Twilight Sparkle started the film struggling to adjust to her newly acquired wings, and I felt very concerned for her before Sunset Shimmer sneaked in to try stealing her crown. Sunset Shimmer has a really cool design, and her personality is very similar to Regina George from Mean Girls (2004). Once Sunset jumped into the portal, Twilight goes after her, but her friends can't join because it could cause a power imbalance. The mirror portals are very similar to the Dimension Mirrors from Kirby and The Amazing Mirror, and the Elements of Harmony losing power if the crown is stolen was reminiscent of the Ideya's functionality in Nights Into Dreams.

Twilight only has three days to try getting her crown back, much like Link saving Clock Town in Majora's Mask. When Twilight turns into a human, she has trouble adjusting to the world around her, and Spike becomes a wisecracking animal sidekick that helps her out at times. Although Twilight's first day at school didn't go well, she did stand up to Sunset Shimner in front of Fluttershy, met Pinkie Pie and Applejack, and fell in love with a cute rocker kid by the name of Flash Sentry.

One scene I didn't like was when Twilight Sparkle was insulted by Sunset Shimmer after she announced her run for Fall Formal Princess. She didn't fight back at all, though once she realized she wasn't fitting in, she tried to improve her behavior and reputation around Canterlot High. This resulted in meeting Rarity and Rainbow Dash, as well as getting the rest of the Humane Six back together after Sunset Shimmer seperated them prior to the events of the film.

I really like the scenes when the Humane Six are getting ready for the Fall Formal and getting the other students to support Twilight Sparkle's cause. Although Sunset Shimmer is having Snips and Snails spy on them, the group makes such a huge impact that even her cronies are in favor of Twilight. However, when Sunset sends her lackeys to destroy Pinkie Pie's decorations, she tries to frame Twilight by photoshopping a picture of her playing soccor/football to make it seem like she was responsible. Flash Sentry ends up saving her from this fate, though Twilight has to get the festival back in order before it's too late and make sure her friends understand her reason for running as Fall Formal Princess.

Once everything is back in order, the festival begins and Twilight Sparkle wins, but not without Sunset Shimmer trying to steal the crown for herself. The Humane Six and Spike attempt to stop her, but once Sunset gets her hands on Twilight's element, she turns into a demon princess and hypnotizes the students into her command. Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity comfort Twilight, which allows them to transform and defeat Sunset once and for all.

The songs in this movie are all really catchy, and although Twilight had to say goodbye to her new friends and return to Equestria, she was given a warm welcome by the rest of the Mane Six when she arrived home. I'd give this film a 9/10. It's an easy reccomend for any fans of MLP, and fantasy high school films in general. Personally, I had a lot of fun watching this, and now I'm curious to see what the rest of the Equestria Girls series has to offer.
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Yeah, I remember liking the first Equestria Girls movie a lot too, but it still had a couple of flaws in my opinion. I felt that the biggest one by far was that Flash should have been more than just the love interest character for Twilight. I think I remember thinking Sunset was less interesting than she is in later movies too. But it was still fun to see Twilight interact with the rest of the Mane Six as humans, and the new environment felt utilized in a fun way, which completely still saved it for me.
 
G Major Steven Stone said:
Yeah, I remember liking the first Equestria Girls movie a lot too, but it still had a couple of flaws in my opinion. I felt that the biggest one by far was that Flash should have been more than just the love interest character for Twilight. I think I remember thinking Sunset was less interesting than she is in later movies too. But it was still fun to see Twilight interact with the rest of the Mane Six as humans, and the new environment felt utilized in a fun way, which completely still saved it for me.
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I personally think Sunset was a great villain and if anything enjoyed her role in this movie more than her later roles as a reformed protagonist. I do see your point about Flash's character being more or less exclusively centered around being a love interest for Twilight, but personally I never really minded that as far as the first movie goes since I do find his relationship/interactions with Twilight extremely cute and I like his whole rocker vibe, I'm just angry that later entries in the EqG series basically tossed him aside when he could have had potential to be more.
 
Yesterday, I started Season 4 with Princess Twilight Sparkle.

Having this season opener start off with Twilight Sparkle still having to adjust to her wings after needing to do the same with her human form in Equestria Girls was a bit jarring. After we see a newly installed stained glass mural depicting Twilight's transformation, her friends leave for Ponyville to prepare for the Summer Sun Celebration. This is the first time the festival has been held since Season 1, though this time, Princess Celestia wants to change the meaning behind the celebration to reflect on what has happened so far in Equestria.

Once the rest of the Mane Six leave, a letter is sent by the Royal Guards. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna have been taken away by mysterious black vines that can only be defeated with alicorn magic. We see Fluttershy, The Apple Family, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity struggle to contain the vines in Ponyville. There are spiky clouds that shoot lightning, like Kracko from the Kirby series, as well as sparkles that mess with Rarity's magic. Twilight decides to check on her pals after the vines overtake the castle in Canterlot, though she has no idea what's causing this to happen.

Once Twilight Sparkle arrives in Ponyville, her friends are still dealing with the vines. She deduces that Discord could be behind their destruction, so the Mane Six use their elements to summon him. Discord quickly tries telling the group that he's innocent, though initially, Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash try and use their elements on him, only for Fluttershy to stop them before they activate. Discord suggests the group should try getting assistance from Zecora, who's been forced to leave the Everfree Forest due to the vines' rapid growth. She has Twilight use her magic on a potion, which causes it to turn from purple to white.

Afterwards, Twilight Sparkle drinks the potion for the first time. We see the day Princess Celestia used the Elements of Harmony to defeat Princess Luna after she transformed into Nightmare Moon. I think these flashbacks are cool, as they do a lot of worldbuilding and provide backstory to certain characters. Moving on to the second part, after Twilight experiences Luna's defeat, she drinks the potion again, which allows her to see the two princesses defeating Discord, as well as discovering a special plant known as the Tree of Harmony.

Soon after, Twilight and co. head into the Everfree Forest to try saving the tree. But once she leads her friends into trouble thanks to an encounter with a cragadile, the Mane Six suggest Twilight should head back to Ponyville to protect it from harm while they find the tree on their own. I wanted Twilight to stand her ground, but to my disappointment, she agreed to their ideas.

Upon Twilight's return, the vines are close to overtaking Ponyville. Discord laments her decision to leave her friends behind, while Twilight tries her best to defend herself. Realizing that her friends could be in danger, she heads back into the forest, though she gets stopped in her tracks by the vines spraying her with powder.

Spike tells the Mane Six what's happened, and they work together to save Twilight Sparkle from danger. Once they're back together, they head back to the tree and relinquish their elements, allowing the tree to flourish, while the vines disappear from Equestria. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna return, and a special chest appears out of a flower bulb, though its purpose is currently unknown.

Once the group leaves the forest, Discord is impressed with their teamwork, though he mentions that some Plunder Seeds he planted should've sprouted long ago. Twilight doesn't know what this means, so she drinks the potion one last time, revealing that Discord planted the seeds in an attempt to drain magic from the Tree of Harmony and kidnap the princesses, though at the time of his defeat, the tree had enough magic to prevent the seeds from growing until after Twilight's alicorn transformation. Discord withheld this info so Twilight could learn a valuable lesson about friendship. With everything returned to normal, the Summer Sun Celebration begins without any further hitches.

I think this two parter was very forboding and mysterious, with a much darker tone compared to previous ones. I also really liked the flashback scenes and the Plunder Seed vines providing a significant challenge for the Mane Six to overcome. However, Twilight's decision making was a little dense in some spots, and though she does adjust to her newfound abilities, I think her quest to prove herself worthy of the title of princess isn't over yet.

I'm looking forward to a lot of the individual stories in Season 4, and am wondering what sorts of new adventures Twilight Sparkle and her friends will partake in. What could be inside that mysterious chest? Only time well tell, that's for sure...
 
Yesterday, I did my first set of individual stories for Season 4, which included Castle Mane-ia, Daring Don't, and Flight to the Finish.

Castle Mane-ia had a lot of backstory for Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, but the plot had a fair amount of pacing issues. Twilight Sparkle didn't really help out her friends until close to the end of the episode, and spent most of her screen time looking around the castle and reading the Princesses' journal. Rainbow Dash and Applejack were competing in a contest for most daring pony, which only lead them into trouble when they were wandering the building.

Fluttershy was helping Rarity get some new tapestries for the Carosel Boutique, with Angel Bunny tagging along. Angel gets seperated from his owner later on and spends the majority of the plot with Twilight and Spike. Although some of the frights were terrifying, others fell flat quickly. It came to a point where Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash were all scared so silly, that they were bumping into each-other and wrecking the place unintentionally.

However, the ending was somewhat good. Pinkie Pie is revealed to be the pony playing the organ, which was reminiscent of her being revealed as Mare Do Well in The Mysterious Mare Do Well from Season 2. After the group is back together, they decide to write their own Friendship Journal to chornicle their adventures, which is a nice step forward from the letters they sent Princess Celestia in Season 1, 2, and 3. Overall, I thought Castle Mane-ia was good, but not stellar enough to wow me that much.

Daring Don't has a really good lesson behind it. A lot of people that are huge fans of certain franchises don't know how to control themselves and act mature at things like conventions or meet and greets. This can cause them to forget how special they themselves are in real life, and that meeting someone behind your favorite series doesn't have to be treated like something bigger than what it already is.

Going back to the episode, Rainbow Dash is very excited because the next Daring Do book is coming out in a few months. A party is going on at the Golden Oak Library, but during the event, she is informed that the book is being delayed for another two months, much to her shock. However, RD does manage to convince the Mane Six to join her on a quest to find Daring Do and figure out the reason for said delay.

When the group finds Daring Do, her cottage is in shambles, and it's revealed that A. K. Yearling, the author behind the books, is actually her character irl. We are also introduced to Dr. Cabelleron and his lackeys, who are searching for a mysterious ring belonging to a creature known as Ahuizotl. However, when Rainbow Dash decides to try helping her out, Daring Do is distrustful of her behavior and tells the overexcited pegasus that she works alone.

Rainbow Dash's assistance only makes matters worse for Daring Do, allowing the Ahuizotl to steal the ring after she gets it back from Cabelleron using a cleverly put together disguise. He captures her, and when RD tries to help, Daring Do doesn't want her assistance, as it'll just bring more harm than good. This causes RD to lose faith in herself for a while until the Mane Six reveal to her that in placing Daring Do on a pedestal higher than her own, she forgot how amazing her own qualities were, and they wouldn't be like themselves if they didn't help her out at least a little.

Daring Do breaks free from her prison, only for RD to assist her in getting back to Ahuizotl's lair. The Mane Six distract the creature, allowing RD and Daring Do to remove the rings from the stone pillar, causing the fortress to collapse. The Ahuizotl is defeated, and Daring Do realizes that having a little assistance on her adventures isn't a bad idea. After receiving a hug from RD, A. K. Yearling returns to her cottage to finish her book. As thanks for her contributions, RD ends up getting a copy of the next Daring Do book in advance, which makes her ecstatic, especially when she shes herself alongside her hero on the cover.

I thought Daring Don't had a very cool plot, with lots of exciting action scenes and tense moments. We learned a lot about A. K. Yearling's daily life outside of writing, as well as seeing her adversaries in action. RD also learned a very important lesson here, and I'm glad she was able to meet her hero, even if their encounter was a little rough at first.

Flight to the Finish was a great episode that focused on the Cutie Mark Crusaders. It also acted as a follow up to Just For Sidekicks and Games Ponies Play from Season 3, as Inspector Harshwhinny makes a return and we get to see Ponyville Elementary's students compete for the role of flag bearer at the Equestria Games. The CMC really want to impress Rainbow Dash, who's coaching the try-outs, though Harshwhinny attempts to keep RD's enthusiasim under control so she can judge every pony professionally.

The CMC sing a really catchy song as they think about their act. Hearts Strong As Horses has this big band vibe, with a lot of lyrics promoting empowerment as a group and a high sense of self-worth. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are dismissive of the CMC's efforts as usual, thinking that blank flanks representing Ponyville will make the town look awful. However, Rainbow Dash is imprssed with the CMC's first routine during Day 1 of try-outs, causing the two fillies to begin plotting their next move.

After Day 1 try-outs conclude, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon attempt to get under the CMC's skin by pretending to praise their performance. They nag about how Scootaloo can't fly, which Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle try to defend in an effort to stand up to the two fillies. By the time they leave, Scootaloo is determined to get her flying improved so their next routine will be better than their first run, but her closest friends become exhausted from over-exerting themselves in trying to rework their act.

On Day 2 of try-outs, the CMC's reworked routine goes horribly. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle are still tired from the night before, and Scootaloo ends up not destroying the paper surrounding the hoop with her flight. Rainbow Dash is trying to hold herself together, but believes that the CMC's original performance on Day 1 was better as is. In an attempt to salvage their act, Scootaloo continues to practice, but Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle leave to rest up for the big audition at the Crystal Empire.

After hours of practice, Scootaloo laments that she'll never be able to fly. At the train station, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle are impatient in waiting for their friend to arrive. When they learn that Scootaloo has given up on their routine, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle say that they don't need her anymore, and board the Friendship Express without her. Once Rainbow Dash realizes what has happened as the train is leaving Ponyville, she pulls the emergency brake, and urges the two friends to join her so they can get Scootaloo back.

At Scootaloo's house, we see the young pegasus throw away her scooter alongside various posters. Rainbow Dash, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle reconcile with their friend, telling her that although she can't fly, their routine won't be the same without her, she shouldn't let her weaknesses stop her from being a good friend, and that friendship is the point of their performance. Once the CMC is back together, they sing a reprise of Hearts Strong As Horses and manage to make it to the Crystal Empire in time as auditions are about to kick off.

The CMC perform their routine without any hitches, which allows them to win the role of flag-bearer. Both Harshwhinny and Rainbow Dash are impressed, though RD reminds Harshwhinny to compose herself after congratulating the performance. The CMC are awarded with flower wreaths, and wonder if they'll get their Cutie Marks in flag bearing as the story draws to a close.

I thought Flight to the Finish was a pretty amazing episode. Not only did Scootaloo realize her weaknesses shouldn't bring her down, but I also liked how supportive Rainbow Dash was towards the CMC. One thing I would've liked to see was some of the other students' performances, though these were likely cut for time constraints. That being said, I thought the lesson was well written, and the song added a nice touch to an already great story.
 
Hey, everyone. Last night, I did my second set of stories, which included Power Ponies, Bats!, and Rarity Takes Manehatten.

Power Ponies had a great concept, with the ponies and Spike entering a comic book and getting superpowers. However, the first and second acts of this plot were a little questionable. The Mane Six were inexperienced with their powers, which lead them into trouble, Mane-iac had a cool design that was wasted because her personality, evil laugh, and motives were pathetic, and Spike only makes matters worse because he's trying to prove to his friends that he isn't weak and useless like Humdrum is in the comics.

However, the third act was where things really picked up for the better. The Mane Six's powers are used effectively and Spike makes himself useful to show that he doesn't need special powers to help out. I think all of the Mane Six's powers are pretty neat, with Twilight Sparkle having ice beams, Rainbow Dash using electricity, Applejack's magic lasso, Pinkie Pie's superspeed, Rarity's endless supply of objects, and Fluttershy's ability to transform into a bulky version of herself, kind of like The Incredible Hulk or The Infragable Krunk from The Justice Friends segments in Dexter's Lab.

Fluttershy's Transformation also reminded me of when Topaz was turned into an Ogre as part of a spell Sapphire casted in the first Trollz episode, Best Friends For Life. Going back to MLP, Spike learns an important lesson about how he shouldn't let his weaknesses prevent him from helping out his pals, and the comic book disappears soon after everyone is teleported back to Princess Celestia's old castle.

I thought Power Ponies was better than some superhero episodes from other shows, which either have lame powers given to the characters (ex. Super-Zeroes from Billy and Mandy) or are more hype than anything in execution (ex. Comic Relief from Dexter's Lab). But against other MLP episodes, it isn't one of the ones I'll go back to often.

Bats was very cool and had this spooky atmosphere. It's also a far cry from most vampire episodes in other shows, which either use the classic Count Dracula story for its base, have tomatoes instead of blood because they were appealing to kids (ex. Count Koopula from The Super Mario Bros. Super Show or Catula from Hello Kitty's Furry Tale Theater) or do a spin on Dracula that only works for certain audiences. But MLP using the apples and fruit bats is quite an original idea.

The song Bats has an ominous and foreboding tone, with Applejack wanting to protect her orchard from the creatures and get rid of them as soon as possible, and Fluttershy wanting to make a sanctuary for them so the apple trees can have stronger roots and longer lifespans. But later on, in an attempt to stop the critters, she suckers up to her friends' commands, helping them lure the fruit bats to a tree once Twilight Sparkle finds a spell that could get their appetites to diminish and using her Stare on them.

However, this has serious side effects, as something is still devouring the apples the next night. The bats aren't guilty, so the Mane Six vow not to leave the field until they find the culprit. Later that evening, they find out that Fluttershy is responsible, having been turned into a bat-like creature thanks to Twilight's spell backfiring, which she doesn't realize until after she discovers her mistakes and explains them to the group.

The Mane Six try getting her attention, but it doesn't work until AJ sacrifices her big apple that she was planning to enter into a competition. The other ponies assist by using mirrors to corner Fluttershy, and Twilight users her horn to turn her friend back to normal. Fluttershy is unaware of the trouble she caused, but the next morning, AJ repays her by making a sanctuary for the fruit bats. The timid Pegasus also learns how to express concern instead of obeying her friends without any thought, which is a valuable moral in my opinion.

Overall, Bats was a pretty good episode. The spooky atmosphere and departure from ideas that were tried by other shows gives it a uniqueness factor, the song fits the story, and the lesson is handled quite well, even if AJ and Twilight's writing was questionable here.

Rarity Takes Manehatten was a great New York style episode. I like when NY or a spin on it is shown in media, such as Home Alone 2 (1992) for the former or Strawberry Shortcake in Big Apple City for the latter. Rarity is planning to enter a competition against other ponies in the fashion industry, while the rest of the Mane Six want to take in the sights and watch a take on Heidi known as Hinny of the Hills.

Generosity has this big city tune to it, with lyrics showing how Rarity does nice things for the ponies in Manehatten while also allowing them to help her out whenever she needs it. But some of the ponies aren't too kind. Rarity is rejected from riding a cab and forgets her fabric when she does find one. When she arrives at the venue, the receptionist nearly disqualifies her until the Mane Six have a stallion bring her materials to the place.

Rarity is told by the competition's organizer, Prim Hemline, that since she didn't show up early, a lot of ponies will be showing off their creations before her on the big day. Rarity also meets a competitor named Suri Polomare, or Button Belle as she was known in the toy line. Suri has a cute design, but is very rude, taking Rarity's fabric and plagiarizing her own designs, as well as telling her that it's everypony for themselves around Manehatten.

In an effort to set things right, the Mane Six volunteer to help Rarity out after she rushes into their hotel room, crying in shame. However, they don't want to miss out on Hinny of the Hills, and Rarity chews them out for this, which really just shows how pompous she can be at times. I didn't like this scene at all, especially since the group complies after she takes her drama too far.

The next morning, the competition kicks off. The audience is wowed by both Suri's and Rarity's fashions. However, the ladylike unicorn realizes that her friends aren't in the audience, so she leaves the stage to search the city for them. This leads to a sad reprise of Generosity, with her mane and tail losing their ringlets because of the pouring rain. When she returns to the plaza, she reunites with her pals, but is told by Suri that she lost the event because of her sudden departure. Rarity is graceful towards her loss, being happy to just compete amongst other ponies in the fashion industry.

After taking her buddies to a surprise showing of Hinny on the Hills, Rarity is greeted by Coco Pommel. She awards Rarity with the competition trophy because of her giving personality, and explains that Suri lied to her in an effort to win by default due to the beautiful unicorn's forfeit. Pommel quit her job under Polomare, but Rarity quickly allows her to help make outfits for the next show Hinny's costume designer is contributing to. Pommel also gives Rarity a spool of Rainbow Yarn, which gives off a mysterious glow.

Although Rarity Takes Manehatten was a little rough around the edges, I had a pretty fun time with it. The big city vibes, combined with the amazing song, and the excitement of the competition allow it to shine amongst other Rarity centric episodes. The lesson is also well written, and Coco Pommel has a very cute design, with a similar voice to G3 Rarity, thanks to Cathy Weseluck being her VA.
 
How's everyone doing? My third set for Season 4 consisted of Pinkie Apple Pie, Rainbow Falls, and Three's A Crowd.

Pinkie Apple Pie's plot was very confusing to me. Although I like how Pinkie Pie tried to get along with The Apple Family through-out the adventure, I felt that the way the episode handled the group's writing was questionable. They were constantly arguing and trying to make themselves seem perfect, that their careless behavior was responsible for most of the conflict they got into as the story went on.

Apples to the Core is quite a catchy song, and is one of the episode's saving graces in my opinion. While it's far from one of my favorite songs, it has its merits and shouldn't be understated. But there was a lot of missed opportunities here. There's a sequence where the group enters a cave as they paddle down a river, but you can only see the outside of it, as well as the noises being made inside the caverns, and then it's over. I would've liked the see the inside of this cave, as it would've upped the scare factor and added a sense of urgency.

But by far, the biggest missed opportunity was the way The Apple Family's lineage, as well as the lesson in general, was handled. In previous episodes like Family Appreciation Day from Season 2 and Apple Family Reunion from Season 3, the family lineage is given a lot more focus and provides a decent amount of worldbuilding. But here, it just fades into the background within a few minutes. The family goes back to arguing at the end, so the lesson feels forced onto the viewer from the get-go.

While I wouldn't say Pinkie Apple Pie is terrible by any means, I personally would refrain from watching this episode again. Its rushed plot, questionable morals, and array of wasted potential make it a mediocre watch, with only a couple redeeming qualities to take note of.

I was not looking forward to Rainbow Falls from a fan perspective. When people talk about Season 4, this episode is often the one that gets the most criticism out of the bunch. So I paid very close attention to the events of this story as a whole. By the end of it, I was quite appalled by the writers' decisions, and felt that there was little to no redeeming qualities with this plot.

Rainbow Dash's writing falls apart quite early on, as she begins to lose faith in her group, consisting of Fluttershy and Bulk Biceps. Her partners aren't too great at their routine, and once Soarin of the Wonder Bolts gets his wing injured during practice, RD decides to help the group right away instead of getting her own team's performance under control. She checks in on them every once in a while, but they don't seem to be improving their act at all.

When RD is told that she's talented enough to join the Wonder Bolts permanently, she is torn between choosing her heroes or her friends. In the end, she attempts to run from her decision by faking an injury. Although her friends try making her feel better, with Fluttershy even having Derpy sign on as a replacement, nothing seems to work until after they leave the nurse's office. This is when Soarin reveals that his wing has healed up, and that Spitfire may have lied to both of them, which is just baffling in my opinion.

After telling the truth to Spitfire, RD decides to join her friends instead of the Wonder Bolts and is given a lightning shaped badge as thanks for her efforts. Her team just barely qualifies for the Equestria Games, and the badge gives off the same mysterious glow we saw with Rarity's Rainbow Yarn in Rarity Takes Manehatten.

Out of all the episodes I've seen so far in Season 4, Rainbow Falls might be the worst one I've sat through. The questionable writing, poor handling of the friendship lesson, and baffling story decisions all contribute to my dislike of it. I would never watch this episode a second time, and although the scenery of the falls was nice, it didn't do enough to save this story from getting a bad rating.

Three's A Crowd was a great sickness episode. It combines tropes from many different approaches to this story, so it offers a bit of everything. We also get to see two fan favorite characters return, those being Princess Cadence and Discord. Fluttershy is away studying Breezies, while Pinkie Pie is distracted by a red balloon. Twilight Sparkle is planning to spend her time with Cadence by visiting a Star Swirl The Bearded Traveling Museum.

Discord swirls in like a tornado, causing quite a ruckus between Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash once they notice him. His usual earthy colors are replaced with various shades of blue, and during his conversation, Discord ends up spreading this illness to both Rarity and Applejack, forcing them to head home for the rest of the story. RD leaves quickly, not wanting to get sick, while Pinkie's childish tendencies lead her away from the action within a matter of minutes.

Twilight and Cadence are enjoying their time at the museum, but upon seeing Discord, they shield themselves from his sneezing. The intelligent alicorn is initially reluctant to taking care of the sickly draconequus, but after hearing his constant pleading, she and Cadence oblige. They take him to Golden Oak Library and Discord becomes incredibly needy, wanting a variety of different things to make him feel better.

Glass of Water is the first time we've ever seen Discord sing, and this tune is just so fun. The lyrics are nonsensical but work within the universe, his voice has this baritone sound that I just love to hear, and the structure of the song is well balanced. After his long list of requests, Twilight begins to search for an antidote, and Discord tells her and Cadence that a rare pink flower on a hill at the edge of Equestria might do the trick.

When Twilight and Cadence find this flower, a Tatzlwurm appears and wreaks havoc, trying to defend the plant. At first, the two alicorns struggle to defeat the creature, but once they use their magic to blast it from the inside, they are victorious in their endeavor. It's then revealed that Discord only faked his illness to see if Twilight would stand up for him in times of need, thinking that although she was on good terms with him, she hadn't really shown it quite yet. However, the Tatzlwurm emerges from its hole and sneezes, causing Discord to get inflicted with the Tatzlflu and receive care from Fluttershy as the story draws to a close.

With its tremendous song, usage of fan favorite characters, and offering a bit of everything in terms of approach, Three's A Crowd is quite a stellar showing for Season 4. It's certainly up there among other episodes I've loved from this Season, such as Daring Don't and Flight to the Finish. After the disaster that was Rainbow Falls, this story really brought a smile to my face, having seen a fair share of these sickness plots, both good and bad, from other shows.
 
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Hey everyone. It sure was a magical musical wonderland last night, as I did my fourth set for Season 4. The episodes included Pinkie Pride, Simple Ways, and Filli Vanilli.

At the beginning of Pinkie Pride, we're introduced to Cheese Sandwich, who has recently set his sights on Ponyville as his next party spot. The songs start off with Pinkie the Party Planner, a catchy tune that shows how much Ponyville's citizens appreciate the celebrations prepared by Pinkie Pie as she sets up for Rainbow Dash's birthday/anniversary. RD is excited about her big day, and soon after, Cheese arrives in Ponyville and his much more goofy and festive party throwing style leaves Pinkie impressed at first. But things are about to take a turn...

Cheese begins to sing about how great of a party pony he is. The Super Duper Party Pony is very fast-paced and energetic, showing Cheese's talents as Pinkie gets sidelined. The ponies decide to have Cheese take over as host for RD's party, causing Pinkie to worry that she might get replaced. Pinkie's Lament is a very somber, melancholy number, which has her try out various jobs and failing in the process until she realizes that she must take back her position after reminiscing about the previous parties she's held over the course of the show so far.

At 3:10, after much preparation, Pinkie and Cheese have a goof-off. They try outdoing each-other using cannons, singing, jokes, and even scenes with Gummy and Boneless, Cheese's rubber chicken, in real life. However, when a giant piñata falls on RD, who's judging the competition, Pinkie begins to regret what she's done and stops the goof-off. Before Pinkie can leave Ponyville though, her friends not only cheer her up, but allow her to see that although Cheese might have better, more spectacular parties than Pinkie, she's Ponyville's permenant Party Pony, and therefore, cannot be replaced.

Cheese comes in and confesses to Pinkie that he wasn't always a Super Duper Party Pony. He was an outcast as a young colt, and it wasn't until he wandered into a party by chance that he got inspired to hold celebrations all over Equestria, and by coincidence, that party was hosted by Pinkie. The two party ponies decide to combine their efforts, turning RD's party into a tremendous occasion.

After singing Make A Wish, a bopping tune about birthdays and having a good time, Cheese gives Pinkie Boneless for her efforts and support, and once again, we see that same glow Rarity's Rainbow Yarn and RD's Wonderbolt Badge also had. Cheese heads off for another town as the bash winds down and our story draws to a close.

I thought Pinkie Pride was the funniest episode I've ever seen from Season 4. It's certainly up there as one of my favorites alongside Daring Don't, Flight to the Finish, and Three's A Crowd. It's a great birthday episode, a magical musical, and the lesson behind it is thought out quite well. This is probably one I'll watch often, and this is actually my second time seeing it, as I did a Pinkie marathon at the beginning of 2024 with this episode alongside A Friend in Deed and Too Many Pinkie Pies. But that time, I was mainly watching for fun instead of doing my usual analysis/critiques.

Simple Ways was a mixed bag in my opinion. Rarity is picked as host for Ponyville's Ponyville Days festival. At the Carousel Boutique, she tells her friends that she's planning a cider auction/tasting at Sweet Apple Acres, a gala in the Town Square, and a fashion show. While the Mane Six is impressed with these ideas, Rarity is mainly trying to woo a preppy unicorn named Trenderhoof, who she has a crush on.

Now, this might just be me, but Trenderhoof kinda looks like Dick Hardly from The Powerpuff Girls episode Knock It Off. Not only that, but I do not support Rarity's crush on this guy at all, considering her last boyfriend, Prince Blueblood, wasn't exactly looking out for her too much. She and Twilight Sparkle head to the Train Station to meet up with him.

At first, Rarity is so in love, she can't even say hello to Trend, but soon after, she takes him on a tour of Ponyville, showing him her plans for the upcoming celebration. However, once Trend meets Applejack at Sweet Apple Acres, he is absolutely smitten by her rustic nature. This causes Rarity to have a dramatic meltdown, even though AJ doesn't find Trenderhoof appealing at all.

After this, Rarity begins trying numerous ways to steal Trend from AJ by trading her poise and grace for a more natural, rustic look. However, her fancy ways of doing farm chores only make Trend more fascinated with AJ by the minute. Frustrated, AJ avoids any sort of contact with Trend as his obession with her gets bigger. Rarity on the other hand, is more determined than ever to get Trend on her side and goes country, ditching her sense of style entirely, and even retheming her Ponyville Days plans to be more focused on Sweet Apple Acres.

However, everyone in Ponyville is unimpressed with the changes. AJ wants Rarity to realize her mistakes, and makes a sudden appearance on the runway, trading her rustic look for a beautiful party dress and calling herself Apple Jewel. The two ponies begin to outdo each-other, but their argument goes nowhere fast. After getting mud on AJ's outfit, Rarity regrets her behaviour, and upon seeing Trend in farm clothes, tells him he shouldn't have to change himself like she did to impress him.

The next day, Rarity has her Ponyville Days celebration go back to its original plans, and everypony is having a good time. Rarity receives a rose from Trend as thanks, and the Fashion Show commences without any hitches.

I personally thought Simple Ways was mildly entertaining, but not an episode I'd go back to anytime soon. It kind of stumbled with the handling of its lesson, had a poorly written new character, and Rarity and AJ's attempts to outdo each-other was a little much for me. But there were some highlights, like Rarity's outfit at the beginning, and AJ's Apple Jewel disguise.

Filli Vanilli begins with Fluttershy singing to her animal friends. Music in the Treetops is very similar in tune to So Many Wonders from the Season 1 episode The Cutie Mark Chronicles. The Mane Six admire her talents, but the timid pegasus gets worried when she finds out they heard her performing. There is a fundraiser happening at Ponyville's Pet Center, and a band called the Pony Tones is set to make an appearance at the event, and Rarity wonders why Fluttershy can't join them.

Fluttershy reveals that she has Stage Fright and even though she is a fan of Pony Tones' music, she would never perform with them because of her fears. She and her pals leave her Cottage and begin to set up for the fundraiser. We're introduced to the members of Pony Tones, which include Rarity, Big McIntosh, Toe Tapper, and Torch Song. They practice their song, Find the Music in You, which is this inspiring tune about discovering hidden talents and facing fears in the process.

However, at rehearsals the next day, Big Mac loses his voice because he lost a turkey call at Sweet Apple Acres to Pinkie Pie the previous night. Rarity and Fluttershy take the stallion to Zecora for a potential remedy, but she tells the group that his condition will take a few days for a full recovery. She suggests Fluttershy take his place on stage using the deep voice she got upon being inflicted with Poison Joke in the Season 1 episode Bridle Gossip, but after she reveals her fears, Rarity has a solution to her problem. She could sing backstage while Big Mac moves his lips in sync with her vocals.

On the day of the fundraiser, Pony Tones performs their song, and it is a rousing success. A young pegasus named Zipporwill is amazed with their act and wants them to make an appearance at her Cute-Ceñera. Initially, Rarity turns her down, but Fluttershy, not wanting to disappoint the little filly, convinces the group otherwise. Soon after their next show, more and more ponies want Pony Tones at various events, including Mayor Mare's ribbon cutting ceremony, the Spa Ponies at Ponyville's Day Spa, and Cheerilee's class at Ponyville Schoolhouse.

Fluttershy gets so invested in her performance, she begins to lose herself in the music. This causes Big Mac to become confused, having trouble keeping up with her enthusiasim. Before their next appearance at Sugarcube Corner, Big Mac's voice has recovered, but Fluttershy, wanting to perform for him one last time, does her wildest act yet. In her excitement, she makes the curtains fall down on the band. This causes her to go through a nightmare sequence where big pony heads with spotlights shine down on her. This scene was terrifying to me, and it causes Fluttershy to leave without warning.

After the Mane Six get the lowdown from Big Mac, they head for Fluttershy's Cottage to see what's gotten into her. Her voice is back to normal, but when the group tries to cheer her up, Pinkie Pie is blunt about her situation, causing the timid pegasus to cry and leave her Cottage in tears. Her friends chase after her, complimenting her singing talents, but Fluttershy never wants to perform in public again after what happened during their last show. Rarity reminds her that in being considerate towards the citizens of Ponyville and performing for them, that she wanted to sing all along, and everypony loved her talents.

In the end, Fluttershy joins the Pony Tones and they do one last performance in front of all her animal friends. Soon after their act, Rarity informs the band that they've been booked for The Apple Family's Zap Apple Extraordinare Event, but Fluttershy politely turns down her offer, since she's still a bit nervous about performing in front of a crowd. She happily sings to one of her bird friends as the story draws to a close.

Filli Vanilli not only had amazing songs, but did Milli Vanilli's lip sync scandals justice in comparison to other attempts such as Kootie Pie Rocks from The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3. However, it's a bit rough around the edges. Pinkie's bluntness towards Fluttershy was mean-spirited in my opinion, and I felt that while the timid pegasus was performing in place of Big Mac, she was acting too much like a push-over towards the group. That being said, I had a fun time with this story, and I would probably watch it again sometime.
 
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Great to see you guys. My next set was certainly a lot of mixed emotions, without many highlights. But that didn't mean I had not to write about! The episodes included Twilight Time, It Ain't Easy Being Breezies, and Somepony to Watch Over Me.

Twilight Time was pretty uninteresting for the most part. It was cool to see the Cutie Mark Crusaders learning new skills with the help of Twilight Sparkle, but soon after the cold opening, the plot falls apart. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon try to convince the CMC to let them join their practice sessions. Apple Bloom is suspicious of this offer, but Sweetie Belle thinks she can handle it on her own, while Scootaloo believes that doing this will allow them to get a better reputation amongst their classmates. In the end, they decide to have them tag along, but things aren't looking up...

Once the other students find out what their classmates are up to, they want in on Twilight Time as well. They join forces with Diamomd Tiara and Silver Spoon, becoming an angry mob that follows the CMC wherever they go. To show Twilight how much their time spent together means to them, the CMC invites her to Hay Burger for lunch. But as they enjoy their food, the mob takes pictures of Twilight behind her back. She goes off the investigate after a few minutes, only to find that she's a celebrity amongst the foals because of her status as Princess.

Soon after, the CMC's poplarity has increased, with Apple Bloom even wearing a shiny new bow with lots of gems on it. In an effort to separate the rest of the students from the CMC, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon invite them to a pool party at the former's house. But as they're enjoying their fun, the CMC soon realize the darker side of their newfound popularity. They soon leave the pool party and head towards the Golden Oak Library, but not without the rest of the foals going after them.

When they arrive, the CMC are cornered by the foals. Twilight unassumingly lets everyone in, so she can show them what the CMC have learned over the course of their practice sessions. But even with improvisions, the fillies' efforts prove fruitless. After getting covered in applesauce, Twilight realizes that none of her visitors have learned anything, despite her best efforts. Once the students leave, the CMC are disappointed, but before they leave, they use their skills to fix the scooter and give Twilight a pink flower. Touched by their kindness, Twlight gives the CMC another chance, but they decide to keep Twilight Time to themselves from now on.

I understand the message Twilight Time might be trying to teach its audience, but its efforts at executing said messages weren't that great. It was nice seeing the CMC learning new skills, but likening the rest of the foals to an angry mob for most of the episode wasn't too exciting. I also thought that this episode seemed like filler, as it didn't really contribute anything to the main story of Season 4 like so many other episodes have. So this one probably won't be watched again anytime soon.

I was kind of looking forward to It Ain't Easy Being Breezies at first. I liked the Breezies a lot in G3, as they were helpful assistants to the ponies, especially Wysteria, and had their own distinct personalities. Tra La La was the leader, smart, and quick-thinking. Tiddly Wink was a talkative chatterbox who often stayed on the sidelines. Zipzee, the youngest of the three, was excitable, curious, and clumsy because of her flower allergies. However, the Breezies in FiM are very different from their G3 counterparts.

Here, the Breezies live in another dimension and use breezes made by the pegasi's wings in order to bring their pollen back home before the portal to it closes for good. But in an effort to see the creatures up close, Spike accidently makes a leaf fall off a tree, causing a group of Breezies to get separated from their clan. A male Breezie with pink hair in a black coat named Seabreeze tries to get everyone back together, but they are unable to rejoin the rest of the group. Fluttershy saves the creatures and decides to care for them so they can recover from their injuries, but Seabreeze isn't so sure...

Inside Fluttershy's Cottage, the Breezies become increasingly dependant on her because of her kindness towards them. They mainly speak using gibberish, which is not only unintellgible, but also high pitched. Seabreeze sounds like a girl even though he's voiced by Brian Drummond, who has performed for other male characters like Mr. Cake, The Ahuizotl, and G3's version of Spike. Only Fluttershy can understand them, but as time closes in, the other pegasi want to ensure the Breezies' departure, and Seabreeze is determined to get home, leaving the Cottage through a pinhole on the door.

Fluttershy heads out to find Seabreeze a few minutes after he leaves. But the outspoken Breezie is soon cornered by a colony of bees who won't leave him alone. Fluttershy tries using her kindness on the colony, but soon realizes that sometimes, kind behavior isn't the answer in times of need. After confronting the colony, Fluttershy rushes back home and tells the rest of the Breezies that they must leave at once before it's too late.

Rainbow Dash and the other pegasi try their best to get a breeze going, but with a smaller amount of Breezies around, they aren't successful in acheiving their goals. Twilight Sparkle uses a spell on both herself and the rest of the Mane Six, turning them into Breezies. This makes their voices high-pitched and allows them to help out the Breezies. Seabreeze helps out his group instead of acting rude towards them, and gives Fluttershy a blue flower. The flower has the same glow that Rarity's Rainbow Yarn, RD's Wonderbolt Badge, and Pinkie Pie's Boneless also had.

Although it was cool seeing the Breezies in FiM for the first time, I think they weren't as interesting as their G3 counterparts. Seabreeze is the only one with any personality traits, and he isn't too likeable to begin with. Not only that, but I also felt that this episode was extremely similar to the Strawberry Shortcake episode When the Berry Fairy Came to Stay.

In that story, a fairy named Margalo B. Berryglow injured her wings, so Strawberry volunteers to take care of her. She introduces her to her friends, but Custard and Pupcake become jealous of the attention everyone's giving her, and think she's faked her injuries after seeing her fly while they're sleeping. They try to show Strawberry and co. that Margalo is fine, but they don't realize it until Strawberry sees her plants aren't growing because of Margalo shirking her duties. After confronting a crow, Margalo makes up by using her magic on Strawberry's plants, allowing them to grow again. She apologizes for her behavior and soon makes lots of friends after Strawberry teaches her to treat others with respect.

I do think MLP's version of this plot had some differences, with multiple dependant characters as opposed to one, Fluttershy being the only caretaker, and her friends wanting the Breezies to leave sooner rather than later. But I believe both episodes have a similar execution in their message, and their story beats aren't distinct enough to warrant an even match-up. In the end, while I thought It Ain't Easy Being Breezies was alright, DIC Entertainment and American Greetings already told a similar story back in 2006, so Hasbro and DHX Media's attempt 8 years later acheiving the same results wasn't too thrilling.

Somepony to Watch Over Me had a rough first and second act. Applejack and Big McIntosh are going off to deliver homemade apple pies to some hard to reach towns, and have Apple Bloom watch over Sweet Apple Acres while they're gone. At first, the young filly is excited about this task, but soon after they leave Ponyville, Applejack is worried that her sister might need some assistance and heads back home with her pie cart in tow.

By the time Applejack comes back home, Apple Bloom has finished all her chores. But upon seeing her sister, the young filly makes a huge mess around the kitchen. Seeing that her sister might need help, Applejack decides to look after her. But in doing this, her behavior begins to resemble that of a helicopter parent babying a child who's capable of fending for themselves. This only frustrates Apple Bloom, so she invites Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle over to devise a plan to deceive Applejack so she can escape without her knowing.

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle decide to disguise themselves as Apple Bloom and sleep in her bed. The young filly makes her escape and decides to take over delivery duties for her sister's pie cart. By the time Applejack realizes what's going on, her sister's been gone for several hours. Worried about her safety, she heads after her. Apple Bloom soon finds herself in a lava filled area and encounters a Chimera that wants to eat not only her, but also the pies she's trying to deliver.

This is where the story gets a lot better in my opinion. At first, Apple Bloom runs away from the creature, but after she's cornered, Applejack rushes in to try saving her sister. She manages to defeat the creature using her quick feet, flute playing skills, and some ricotta cheese. Initially, Applejack scolds Apple Bloom for leaving Sweet Apple Acres without her knowing, but soon realizes that Apple Bloom managed to carry the pie cart all by herself, and commends her efforts.

Applejack and Apple Bloom make it up to each-other and succeed in their delivery, much to the delight of their customers. Applejack apologizes for her behavior and promises that the next time Apple Bloom's put in charge of the farm, she won't check back on her, even if she might need it.

I thought Somepony To Watch Over Me had a great third act, but its first and second act left a lot to be desired. Applejack's behavior for most of the episode wasn't very kind to her element of honesty, and I felt that the lesson was handled quite poorly. However, the Chimera encounter was cool, and the ending was very touching. But I won't be watching this episode again anytime soon, that's for sure.

I'm going to be taking an infrequency period with MLP starting next week. My Halloween playlist is starting that week, and it consists of three shows I haven't seen yet. These include Ruby Gloom, Courage the Cowardly Dog, and Evil Con Carne. While I might use my Sunday slots for the remainder of Season 4 until one of those three shows has no more slots in the schedule, that will mean longer wait times for episodes 18-26. I'm also doing this out of respect for @G Major Steven Stone, so he doesn't get bombarded with reviews in this thread upon his return, so please keep this in mind.
 
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Hey everyone. Last night, I saw Maud Pie, For Whom The Sweetie Belle Toils, and Leap of Faith.

Maud Pie had a really great lesson behind it. At the beginning of the story, Pinkie Pie has made a lot of rock candy for Maud's upcoming visit, and is planning to meet her at the Train Station. She thinks that her peers will get along with her right away, and initially, the Mane Six are looking forward to meeting her. They set up a picnic while Pinkie goes to the Train Station to meet up with her.

When Maud arrives at the picnic spot, the Mane Six try their best to make her visit worthwhile. However, her lack of emotion and low enthusiasm in certain subjects causes the group to not immediately become friends with her like Pinkie Pie had hoped. She then suggests that her friends try getting to know Maud individually, thinking that it might bring them a bit closer together.

Rarity tries to make Maud a dress, Fluttershy takes her on a walk to visit her animal friends, while Twilight Sparkle attempts getting her to read poetry. Instead, Maud has her listen to her own poetry, which focuses on rocks. Applejack tries making some cider with help from Maud, but her methods are different from the Apple Family's tradition. Finally, Rainbow Dash skips stones with Pinkie's sister, and finds out she isn't concerned about winning sports. Soon after, Twilight and co. visit Sugarcube Corner and tell Pinkie that although they've tried their best to connect with Maud, they haven't gotten along too well.

After hearing this, Pinkie Pie becomes worried about the situation that's unfolding. In a last ditch effort, she constructs an obstacle course consisting of areas catered to each of her friends' interests, as well as her sister's. But during her demonstration of it, Pinkie gets stuck in the rock pile. Maud sees her sister in danger and uses her bare hooves to save her, amazing Twilight and co. in the process. Afterwards, Maud tells Pinkie she's going to spend to the rest of her visit at the Pie Family's rock farm, believing that she might've toke her ideas a bit too far.

Pinkie accompanies her sister on the train ride home. When they exit the vehicle, they see Twilight and co. with all the rock candy Pinkie made earlier that week. They then tell the two ponies that although they might not see eye to eye on certain things, the one thing they do have in common is their support for Pinkie Pie, and that's what brings them together. The next day, everyone gives Maud a rock candy bracelet, and she trades one with Pinkie Pie before leaving Ponyville.

I thought Maud Pie was a very touching episode. It was fun seeing Maud and the Mane Six interact with each-other, even if they didn't have much in common at first. I liked how Maud saved Pinkie at the obstacle course, as it allowed her to come to her senses and realize how forcing people to become friends immediately doesn't always work out. The rock candy bracelets all having different designs was clever as well. Overall, I had a great time with this story, and was excited for the next two episodes as a result.

For Whom The Sweetie Belle Toils was a spectacular story. It starts off with Sweetie Belle asking Rarity for help with the outfits she's designed for an upcoming play with Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. Rarity agrees to help her sister out after a bit of convincing, although she also has to get some designs ready for a visit with Sapphire Shores in Canterlot. Later that night, Rarity finishes her sister's request, and the dresses all look amazing. Sweetie and her friends put on a play for the crowd, but after their performance, a bitter feeling starts to set in.

Sweetie asks the audience about their thoughts on the play, but all they can think about is the costume designs. This frustrates Sweetie, reminding her of her fifth birthday, which was an embarrassing experience for her. She tries having a conversation with Rarity, but it doesn't work out because her sister says that although she didn't see the play, she knew how amazing the dresses were. This only angers Sweetie, causing her to have trouble sleeping.

Later that night, Sweetie sneaks into Rarity's room and unstitches the headdress she made for Sapphire. She heads back to her room and falls asleep. In her dream, she wins a trophy for her play, but Rarity's interference causes the award to melt and Sweetie to get frightened. Suddenly, Princess Luna appears and saves the young unicorn from her nightmare. She tells her that sometimes, she feels her sister, Princess Celestia, gets more appreciated than her. In an effort to help Sweetie, Luna transports her back to the time of her fifth birthday to witness what really happened.

On her fifth birthday, Sweetie spent a lot of time perfecting her appearance. By the time she entered the living room, the other foals were more interested in Rarity's party favors than her entrance. Luna then transports Sweetie to the same day, but from Rarity's side of the story. Here, the foals are impatient with how long Sweetie is taking to get ready. To prevent the celebration from becoming a disaster, Rarity handed out the party favors early, which was Sweetie's idea. This causes her to realize Rarity wasn't stealing her spotlight at all, and was only trying to help out.

After swimming with some dolphins, Luna transports Sweetie to a bad future where Rarity's designs for Sapphire aren't received well. Her failures cause her to stop making outfits for everyone in Ponyville, as well as Sapphire to abandon her designs. Not wanting this to happen to Rarity, Sweetie meets up at the Train Station with Apple Bloom and Scootaloo to devise a plan to set things right.

When they arrive in Canterlot, the CMC are rejected by a security guard at the door. As Rarity is about to showcase her outfits, the fillies use their skills to make a surprise entrance, allowing Sweetie to take back the headdress before it's too late. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo distract Rarity along the way, and soon, Sweetie finds Luna in one of the rooms, where she fixes the headdress. She then exits the room and gives the box back to Rarity, who is wondering what caused her to do this.

Sweetie tells Rarity she's come to understand how much she means to her, even if she doesn't feel appreciated for her efforts. After apologizing, Rarity forgives Sweetie, but Sapphire grows impatient in waiting for her headdress. Rarity and Sweetie head back to the stage and give Sapphire her headpiece. Initially, she's unimpressed, but after seeing the stitches in a mirror, she feels relieved, as a dolphin is her lucky animal. Rarity asks Sweetie where she got her inspiration, and she says she got it in a dream, causing Luna to wink. Sweetie then admits that although her play wasn't the best, the best thing about it was the costumes.

I thought For Whom The Sweetie Belle Toils was an outstanding story. It's definitely one of my most favorite episodes I've seen in Season 4 so far, alongside Daring Don't, Flight to the Finish, Three's A Crowd, and Pinkie Pride. It also expands on Luna's abilities to enter dreams and help ponies with their nightmares, which was first explored in Sleepless in Ponyville. I also thought the lesson was handled well, and it showcased Sweetie and Rarity's bond as sisters in a unique way.

Leap of Faith was a fun episode. The Apple Family is relaxing at a water hole together, but Granny Smith has no intention of jumping in. Apple Bloom asks her about her decision, and she reveals that she was once a famed aqua-pony in her youth. However, after the day she attempted to break the Equestria high diving record, she developed a fear of swimming because of her failures.

After their swim, the Apples see a bunch of injured ponies heading to a circus tent in the distance. Attracted by the strange music and the huge crowd, Apple Bloom and Granny Smith follow their path, much to the chagrin of Applejack and Big McIntosh. At the circus tent, the ponies witness a performance hosted by the Flim-Flam Brothers, where they try getting them interested in their latest scam. This time, it's a curative tonic that allows the person drinking it to feel better about themselves and lose their pain, injuries, and fears.

Upon revealing that it could make an old pony feel young again, Granny Smith is interested and gives the two unicorns some of her bits. Applejack isn't sure about how this is going to work, but Apple Bloom feels delighted, as it could cause Granny Smith to relive your youth as a result. The next day, Granny takes a drink of the tonic and then dives into a river. AJ and Big Mac attempt to get her out, but she avoids their assistance. Later that afternoon, she and Apple Bloom swim in the water hole together.

After overcoming her fears, Granny Smith feels inspired to enter a swimming competition with Apple Bloom as her partner. AJ and Big Mac are worried about her decision. That night, AJ and Apple Bloom head back to the circus tent, trying to find out what makes the tonic work. They encounter a stallion named Silver Shill, who tries his best to keep the Flim-Flam's true intentions a secret. But he unwillingly reveals the recipe to the sisters.

The next day, Granny Smith and Apple Bloom enter the competition and win after performing a beautiful swimming routine. After revealing that she used the tonic to help her gain the victory, the two earth ponies get showered with praise and photographs. This causes the Flim-Flam Brothers to set up a stand to attract more customers. But after witnessing Silver Shill make his first sale, AJ feels suspicious about the situation.

Granny Smith climbs up a tower and attempts to break the Equestria high diving record. Realizing her mistakes, AJ uses her lasso to rescue her before she gets hurt. Granny Smith questions AJ's actions, but not wanting to believe in the Flim-Flam Brothers' lies anymore, she reveals that the tonic is a fake. This astounds all of the ponies, as well as Silver Shill, who gives AJ the bit he received as thanks for her efforts. Later that day, as AJ writes about her friendship lesson, the bit gives off a mysterious glow, just like the items Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy received beforehand.

Although it is a bit rough around the edges, Leap of Faith was a much better viewing experience for me the second time around. I initially saw this episode while I was going through Season 8, prior to seeing Friendship University, which also starred Flim-Flam Brothers, alongside The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000, and Viva Las Pegasus. My first response to it wasn't too warm, but after this watch, I thought a few of the scenes were very funny, and the song was catchy, even if the lesson wasn't handled in the best way.
 
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