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My Little Pony's Justice 2 - Official MLP Thread v2


Sean

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Well then, I don't really like episodes with AJ as (or part of) the main focus that often to begin with but this was... something else.

I'll start off by saying I like the moral. That even if you don't like something you should at least not put down others who like it (hell, it's something this forum could probably learn from at times). Also, I hate apples too so that little moment towards the end was a bonus XD. Pinkie was also pretty fun to watch for the most part and, that Rarity shredding the guitar moment.... yes, just yes. It was also nice to see some more continuity in all these characters returning.

Though, this is where the positives end for me. The rest of the episode was just a mess with Rarity expecting something that would clearly happen to just not happen and AJ being completely tone-deaf. I sort of think AJ came out the worse here as she completely shows awareness of the situation... but then completely goes with it and makes everyone else feel awful. At least with Rarity you could argue that she truly believed AJ could work in that environment but AJ was just written as a jerk here. The two really brought this episode down for me.

So yeah, overall I can't say that I was a fan of this one.

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21 hours ago, Dark Qiviut said:

Now, is it worse than Hard to Say Anything? Very hard to tell. Originally, I said Honest Apple's worse, but Hard to Say Anything is pure trash all the way to the end. Right now, it's a coin toss.

So what are your thoughts on Hard to Say Anything exactly, AKA convoluted love triangle with awful Justin Bieber parody? Since you haven't made a post on that yet.

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3 minutes ago, AdventChild said:

So what are your thoughts on Hard to Say Anything exactly, AKA convoluted love triangle with awful Justin Bieber parody? Since you haven't made a post on that yet.

I posted my review on the MLP Forums, so I'll copy-and-paste it from my blog there.


*sigh*

Man, oh, man, Hard to Say Anything is unadulterated shit. A failure of epic proportions not seen since PPOV.

Where. Do. I. Even. Start?

Anyone can write a good episode. Becky Wangberg is so exception. One big problem with bringing in new writers is sometimes they don't get the characters, the worldbuilding, and theme molding. Hamilton knew what he was doing and clearly researched the series. Wangberg didn't do enough, and it showed.

You can actually count the number of times the CMCs have been out of character at any point in the series. If you take the comics into account, the Holiday Special is their worst. Is the characterization that bad here? Thankfully, no. But is their worst in the show in a long time? One hundred percent. The CMCs were absolutely clueless in not only what they're doing, but also how they're doing. When they realize Big Mac on a crush on Sugar Belle, they all believed it was literally a good idea to follow the classic fairytale tropes and outcomes. They're fairy tales for a reason, yet they treat the novels like a how-to instruction book. Naïve they can be, but they're not stupid. How they're unable to separate fiction from reality's beyond me.

More mind-boggling is how every time they screw up, they perform an even dumber idea, which worsens the matter worse and pisses off Sugar Belle even more. They may always have the best strategies (or the best common sense), but they're all smart and clever in their own way. There's also a great sense of maturity beyond their years. Lost Mark, anypony? Well, this maturity is missing. This isn't the CMCs. This is a generic group of caricatures in disguise. I don't know which performance is worse, this or The Show Stoppers. More about them later.

To hear Big Mac actually speak way more beyond the clichéd "Eeyup" and "Nope" is a long-awaited surprise. That doesn't mean he's still in character! Big Mac may be only a stallion of a few words, but he's still very intelligent, caring, and observant with some dignity. Why the hell would he subscribe to the CMCs' stupid plan on copying the fairy tale clichés to woo Sugar Belle over Stereo Pop? My mind boggles that he'd think at any point that it was a good idea to follow that book o' fiction. Hell, at least once, he questioned their ideas, but gave in. You can have a crush and still retain some common sense.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders tell Big Mac to go back to her and ask was their best idea prior to the end by a long shot. They still could've done the same after Feather Bangs barged in and suddenly became the episode's antagonist. More on him later.

But after all the shenanigans, Apple Bloom finally realized…

Quote

Apple Bloom: We should've been thinkin' about what would mean a lot to Sugar Belle!

Quote

Well, why didn't you think about this in the first place?!!

Why is this such a big problem?

  1. This is something that any of them should've figured out a long time ago, especially Big Mac. He's smart enough to know that Sugar Belle might've wanted or needed something that could be beneficial. Rather than immediately going to the storybook, they should ask Big Mac why he had a crush on her and what would be something most beneficial to her (and, by extension, everyone else in the town). This should've been the case for Apple Bloom, who knows him better than the others.
  2. Why didn't this come to her mind in the first place? Because if any of the CMCs didn't go to their stupid scheme, this whole plot would've been resolved by the 11-minute mark, and we'd have to have another one to fill the rest of the time frame. The one line makes all four look even dumber than they were during Act 2.

Now, to talk about the elephant in the room:

1435496__safe_screencap_big+macintosh_su

Rather than re-write it, let my initial reaction tell the story:

Quote

So, Big Mac follows the CMCs' stupid advice and try to plant a kiss on Sugar Belle, who's happily napping in a hammock.

ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME????!!!!!

What the absolute hell is DHX trying to say with this stupid joke? That forcefully kissing a girl in the middle of nowhere is funny? The CMCs are convincing Mac to sexually harass another pony, and Big Mac's going forward with it! With the news and awareness of sexual violence going on at the time this was written and developed, how the hell can Hasbro's censors not pick this up?

Sure, Looney Tunes was able to use this joke. I heard the very same from a lot of people when Brotherhooves Social aired. That comparison doesn't fly anymore. We live in an era with a whole more activism. Trans* rights' activism is at an all-time high now, and we just had Women's Marches. Times have changed. When there's a different political climate, unfortunate implications open up. They may not intentionally harm anyone, but that doesn't make it okay.

Unfortunately, DHX gets tone-deaf too often for its own good, and all the unfortunate implications over the years really proves this. The jokes from Brotherhooves Social contain transphobic/transmisogynist implications, because Big Mac in drag (the "Man in a Dress" trope) is literally the joke, and they force in clichéd jokes (including a gross-out reveal of his Adam's apple) to really hammer in how bad his disguise is. This vile joke here carries some of the biggest unfortunate implications in the series, because it's sexual harassment.

I haven't even counted the other reasons why this joke fails on such an epic-fail level, which includes Sugar Belle's fright and Big Mac's disgusting kissy face.

Now to go over the last sentence in full:

  1. Big Mac's big kissyface is a pure grossout shot. The audience is supposed to laugh at how big, long, and plump Big Mac's forced kissy face looks. What makes it even more disgusting is the closeup of his lips and how Sugar Belle looked at from the corner of her sleepy eye. Seeing swollen, close-up lips protruding from straight on is disgusting, not funny.
  2. Sugar Belle's expression is the cornerstone of why the sexual harassment implications exist. She's completely unaware of not only his advances, but his presence, as well. There's no inclination of her realizing he's there nor wants him there. She just wants some peace and quiet.

    Compare that shot to this panel from FIM #25 (The Good, Part 1/2):
    768049__safe_applejack_rarity_twilight+s

    In the old forums, IDW editor Bobby Curnow admitted that T3's supposed to be a Western parody. Rarity's and Twilight's expression don't suggest parody, but assault. Longhorn's terrorism isn't played for laughs at any point. How is the audience supposed to not take it seriously? A possible way to make this a parody is to treat it as one, like Tumbleweed and the crew immediately playing mindgames with Longhorn in a Bugs Bunny-Yosemite Sam kind of way. If Tumblweed's flicked to a poll, he jumps off the poll (with some cartoon physics, like warping the wood like a spring) and kicks his ass.

    If Sugar Belle showed any awareness of Big Mac's advances and presence, then the parody could work. Something like pretending to sleep, teasing Big Mac with a joke-y line like "Pass me the sunscreen" or "I know you're there, Mack-y" would help shape the parody together better? Why? Because it suggests consensuality among both side, fixing the implications in the process.

For those who suggest either the implication doesn't exist exist or it's okay because the humor was at Big Mac's expense:

  1. Watch the scene in full. Pay attention to how Big Mac behaves and how Sugar Belle reacts. All of this helps shape up the implications.
  2. Big Mac being the butt of the joke doesn't make the implications disappear.

To tell me otherwise suggests that I should turn off my brain. Two words: never happening.

While Hard sucks, it had a decent start. But when Stereo Pop (screw "Feather Bangs"! The other name applies better) appears, the plot sinks.

And Stereo Pop himself is nothing but an episodic accident.

  1. As a character, what character? As a personality, he has as much dimension as Flash Sentry: almost none. There's nothing engaging or charismatic about his character. Each line he spews is flat and stilted. Nothing he says represents anything a realistic person would say.
  2. Outside from being a contrived antagonist (more on this below), his whole purpose is to be a 100% parody of Bieber…back in his early days as a singer. His haircut, suave behavior, and song all scream early-days Bieber more specifically and stereotypical interpretations of boy bands back in the 1990s and 2000s.

    And the jokes surrounding him suck. Why? Because this whole thing is surrounded by dated pop culture references. There's no effort being put into this joke, and every skit related to him (from the voice to hair swaying to the autotune in his song) is one-dimensional.

    Not even his intentionally phallic cutie mark (there's a reason why his tail covers most of it most of the time) is funny. It's just "it's an erect penis mark. Laugh." Jokes don't work that way.

    Pop culture jokes in themselves are really, really difficult to get right. Why? Because what could be cool and funny today could become tacky tomorrow. There's no one right way to make a good pop culture joke, but the better techniques that I've seen are to make sure the core of the joke isn't the pop culture reference, written with enough effort to make it timeless, or keep it really subtle to the point of the audience not having to get the reference at all to make it work. This joke fails.
  3. Clearly he's written to be an antagonist, yet they never properly build him up to be an antagonist. I don't know what went on behind the scenes, but it feels like the writers were reminded that a conflict's needed, and they plug him in very suddenly to fill this in. We never heard of him at any point in the show, and you can educationally guess that he won't appear again.

    The ending where he admits to be nervous around others…that was the best part of the whole episode. Why? Because it gives him some character. Unfortunately, it's too little, too late. To have this swerve happen in the last thirty seconds is nothing but laziness just to make the audience sympathetic. It's a major insult to the story! As a whole, Stereo Pop contributes nothing but the nosedive of its quality and can be written out entirely.

    If he wasn't in this episode, this episode would be a thousand times better!

On second thought, to compare Stereo Pop to Flash is an insult to Flash. Even though Flash is a stereotype, at least he feels like a genuine character at times! There's nothing genuine about this piece of shit!

On top of that, this whole episode directly contradicts the continuity of the show. In Hearts & Hooves Day (which this episode directly references), the CMCs state how it was bad for them to force romance between two ponies. They're doing the very same thing here, only without the love poison and with Big Mac as the vessel. Like RF, they're referencing continuity they shattered. DHX's blatant disregard ruins the moral's weight.

Lastly, one important question. How long did Big Mac's have crush on Sugar Belle? When did it begin? The episode hints that it began that week, but you only truly get to see the part where Mac's crush developed. What would help really improve this episode is if we get to see Big Mac's crush develop from beginning to end.

Another problem is other than the bedroom eyes in Act 1, Sugar Belle never reciprocates it until the end. When you have the mutual admission happen this quick, the pacing feels rushed, and the weight of the crush falls flat. DHX, you've sucked at writing romance since the very beginning, and you suck here. STOP WRITING ROMANCE!

It's very clear that Hard's attempting to parody fairy tale tropes, much of which seen in Disney classics. Note the word "attempted." If you're going to write a good parody, put in the effort to write the jokes correctly and avoid horrendous implications.

What movie parodied them well?

large_140ewbWv8qHStD3mlBDvvGd0Zvu.jpg

This whole movie's a fairy tale parody. But it knows what they're doing. Hell, they write the love's first kiss parody correctly!

As a whole, the episode is a mess and clearly the first bad episode of the season.


This whole episode would've worked much better if it was completely retooled. Here's an idea of mine below:

  1. After Applejack can't make her apple delivery due to being under the weather, Big Mac takes over her job by bringing the shipment of apples to Sugar Belle's home, where they meet for the first time.
  2. He and Sugar Belle exchange acquaintances and pleasantries, and Big Mac wonders what's going on with him. He wonders what feels funny.

    Sugar Belle begins to feel the same.
  3. Over the rest of the week, as Applejack recovers from her cold, Apple Bloom feels suspicious about Big Mac's continuous adventures to Starlight's old village. They know something's funny with Big Mac and try to figure out what.

    The other ponies from Our Town notice the same with Sugar Belle, as she's been jotting recipes for killer apple treats, something she hadn't done before.

    But they both keep it a secret.
  4. One day, Starlight decides decides to make a visit to her old village, where she's shocked that apples are stored and organized outside Sugar Belle's home.

    Suspicious, she knocks on her door, and she answers. Soon, they rib each other. Not long after, she discovers interesting recipe titles, all related to the McIntosh apple that's grown so much in the SAA orchard. Starlight eavesdropping the titles upset Sugar Belle, and she reveals to having a crush on Big Mac. She asks Starlight not to tell anypony about it, which she promises.

    Back in Ponyville, Apple Bloom prodded Big Mac after noticing a behavior change, and he reveals to her about his crush on Sugar Belle. She promises not to tell anypony, either.
  5. Silence for the next couple of days, but Starlight spent a portion of the second day continuing to be re-acquainted with the village and had a little gossip talk with Sugar Belle as they co-planned a recipe. She asked Sugar what she liked about Mac, and she explained about his wonderful personality, including the ability to care and help. When Starlight asked what would mean a lot to him, she isn't sure. Starlight explains a bit of his family, and what they do to transport items. Here, Sugar Belle recalls how  some wagons were falling apart and getting beaten up and has an idea of giving him (and the rest of the family) new ones. Fortunately, Starlight knew of a neighborhood carpentry, and they agreed to go there tomorrow. Starlight decided it was time to leave, but Sugar Belle invited her to stay for the night.

    That evening, Big Mac's hard at work designing a brand-new display shelf and counter for Sugar Belle. The structure would have three tiers to place her baked goods and an icebox underneath to store refrigerated fruits, vegetables, and other perishables. Apple Bloom watches from the doorway.
  6. Next day, both of them visit a carpentry near Town Hall, and came up with a brand-new wagon design for Big Mac. The wood was smooth, nailed, and polished. Sugar and Starlight painted his wagon with yellow on the wheels, green on the side, red bed, and orange straps. It was also sturdier, squeak-free, and easier to pull. Just in case, there's an attachment for extra goods. The other orders will be coming the next day.

    Big Mac and Apple depart SAA for Sugar Belle's house and encounter many troubles, from treacherous roads to collapsed trees to his wagon ready to fall apart on the next stop or bump.

    Starlight and Sugar Belle arrive at SAA, but AJ reveals he and Apple Bloom weren't home. He and Apple Bloom left. They knew where he was going and followed his tracks. They journeys several miles till they approached near the arid village.
  7. CRASH!!

    About 300 yards away, they see Big Mac and Apple Bloom standing in the middle of the road, their wagon destroyed, and both of them trying to keep everything in the same pile.

    Sugar Belle helps clean up the mess and puts their supplies on the bed of the new wagon, which she gave to him. It was a gift since he needed it.
  8. Big Mac thanked her and revealed that he was headed to her house to help renovate her pie shelves. She hugs him and thanks him with a kiss on the cheek.

    At the village, all four construct her new shelf and icebox. She really appreciates what he did and thanks him. And with a small nudge from Starlight, she reveals she has a crush on him and asks if they can go on a date. Blushing, he accepts, and they share a nose nuzzle.

    To conclude, AB and Starlight walk away with them both splitting the lesson.
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so i just got caught up on the episodes and like.. parental glideance and honest apple... i just...i was internally cringing. rainbow dash and applejack were so bad in those episodes, not gonna lie. i could sort of understand where rd was coming from, overbearing parents /can/ be annoying but like... ya don't have to freak out on them. at least they fixed their problem at the end (as usual, as most mlp: fim episodes go) but the whole time i just.. oh jeez. i was cringing because of how harsh rainbow dash was. honest apple was...ech. applejack was an awful character in that episode. only part i appreciated was the wednesday addams reference they did in the episode with inky rose. at least i think that's what it was a reference to, as thats who i first thought of when i saw inky. she's cute, i wish she'd come back and not just be a background character but. yeah.

also on the hard to say anything episode, i actually didn't mind it. it was a cute episode in my opinion. i liked the songs. the feather bangs character was so a reference to justin but ah well, i didn't mind. it was funny. the episode made me laugh sometimes. but yeah, i dunno. i just hope that hasbro or whoever is making these ideas for the episodes steps up their game. im looking forward to the next two weekend episodes though. i hope they're better than parental glideance and honest apple.

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I liked Honest Apple a lot lmao. Yeah I didn't like that Rarity's ill choice for Applejack as a judge was never addressed, but it had a lot of funny moments and a good moral, and I enjoy pretty much any interaction the two of them have with each other in their shared episodes. I'm surprised to see that most people didn't care for or hated this episode (but then some of my views on S7 so far haven't exactly lined up with everyone's anyway)

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The princess/alicorn aspect of the show is one the things that I have grown to detest. Mostly because the direction they have taken it all over the place from the sudden change of Cadence from unicorn to alicorn to Twilight’s ascension that feels weakly justified in episodes following it to the cuteness fodder of Flurry Heart whose existence feels like it belittles Twilight’s “accomplishments” into princesshood. It doesn’t seem to be all that well thought out nor feel well written and made me to care less and less about it.

Well, I guess the only interesting thing for me was in Twilight Time where the CMC had some guidance under Twilight with their interests like Apple Bloom’s potion making, etc. But that subplot seemed to be thrown out the window rather quickly and instead of three students with three branching pathways, we get ‘Sunset Sparkle’ AKA Glim Glam instead which we’ll get to later.

Also, as much as I’ve been wanting a Celestia focused episode a part of me felt that it was ‘Too Little, Too Late’ for me to care when going this long into the series. And Starlight aside, seeing the premise for this episode treads on the all too familiar/redundant grounds of “Oh Noez NNM!/Night is not appreciated/Sibling rivalry/spat” that show and even comics had done before. And I felt Do Princess Dream of Magic Sheep was decent closure for it.

With that lengthy start out of the way, how does this episode fare out? I’m on the fence with this one, moreover the side of average.

The only positives are most of the interactions between the sisters and that they get some decent development overall and Starlight didn’t hog much of their spotlight (yet doesn’t mean I still have some beef about her).

Twilight’s appearance in this felt frustrating for me. For one, it felt that this could have been her episode if this was placed earlier in the series around S4 or 5 when she was starting out as a princess. Secondly, as much as she was in character, she felt slightly annoying. Also, bias towards Celestia? So you’re saying the eps like Luna Eclipse and Magic Sheep didn’t have much impact with the relationship with princesses?  Sounds pretty bull to me.

Still don’t care for Starlight either who even shown Twilight like traits that emphasizes the whole Sunset/Twilight 2.0 as well as how it could have been Twilight’s episode too. All she served as a plot device with the Cutie Mark switching spell and nothing much else IMO, but the only good thing is that she doesn’t overshadow the sisters.

As interesting as it was to see the dream realm again, it is where it kinda dropped the ball for me. Am I the only one who didn’t like Daybreaker or the fight that happened near the end? NNM is very weak, if not arguably the weakest villain of the series even in the beginning and goes back to my complaint of treading on familiar grounds/redundancy. And just having Celestia do the same kind of crap and have two of them doesn’t make it any more interesting. Probably the only thing interesting they did for this aspect was with Nightmare Rarity in the comics and that gave us a setting on the moon and moon beasts.

This is a middle of the road episode for me.

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I still think Honest Apple would have worked better with Fluttershy (although you would have to alter the moral...and the name of the episode). She at least makes sense for a pick as a judge and can still give the practicality insight given that she works with animals. 

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i actually really liked this weekend's episode with the problem with princess celestia and luna. sure it was a bit cliche at the end, but i enjoyed it. daybreaker is.. mmmm i love villains. they're my fave. the only annoying part about this episode was twilight sparkle spying in on starlight glimmer and freaking out and whatnot. but other than that it was a good episode. probably one of my favorites this season to be quite honest. not much else i can say other than that.

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So Not Asking For Trouble stars Pinkie…and the return of the yaks. Oh crud.

My word, I’ve never seen an episode so boring in my entire life. Ranks up there with Applejack’s Day Off in insipid blandness.

And surprisingly enough, there is nothing in this episode I liked.

The humor and overall writing just didn’t do it for me, nothing really struck me as memorable in this. Hay, even Guitar Rarity and the Pinkie parts in Honest Apple were more memorable and amusing than this entire Pinkie Pie episode.

The yaks are still their one note uninteresting annoying selves with their constant roughhousing and ‘HULK SMASH’ dialect/speech, albeit just slightly toned downed even with their dumb festival of theirs. The pacing really hurts it when the Pinkie had the solution but the prince was too stubborn to accept help from others (why does this feel familiar…) which drags the episode that leads to a rushed ending.

Wait…stubborn and refusing to get help from others? Oh! Sounds like AJ from Apple Bucking Season but it feels like that situation was better and properly handled there than it is here. And even that S1 episode is more memorable with a sleep deprived and tired AJ while this has next to nothing of value. Not to mention a better sound moral.

Just a boringly bad episode no thanks to weak writing.

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This is a strange one for me. Watching it, I felt it was pretty ok. But the more I think about it the more I start to dislike it.

The episode got a lot of laughs from me. Pinkie somehow being the voice of reason in the episode made it both jarring and hilarious to watch play out. But... that's about where the positives in this one end for me.

Thinking about it now, the moral of this one is pretty trash. Like, trying to help others without them knowing because they're stubborn? Being too stubborn but still have everything work out the way you want? That doesn't make any lick of sense. Plus, that yak leader is just a dumb ass for letting his people eat snow for days simply because of some pride and not wanting to get help from others. It all just really brings the episode down in my eyes.

So yeah, this is a sub-par episode for me when looking back at it. It had some humor but that's it.

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i sort of liked this episode but also disliked it. a lot of parts made me laugh. pinkie pie seemed good in this episode character wise. good jokes and humor. the only thing i do not like was the moral or message it sent. it was a weird message to give to kids and other people. that's the only issue i have though. everything else in the episode was good, even if the yaks are quite blandly developed. oh well.

is there another episode after this one, or is there a hiatus or something after this? (also i know the equestria girls special is coming up in english very soon which i am very, very excited for)

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While America and Canada are on hiatus, Australia just aired two new FIM episodes: Discordant Harmony and The Perfect Pear.

Commentary under the spoiler tag:

Discordant:

Spoiler

A more laid-back episode of the show, but Discord fades away and loses his chaotic powers after turning normal. When you think about it, it makes sense. Discord embodies chaos. You need chaos in order for order to thrive. Without chaos, what's the point for it to exist?

Discord is a really relatable character. For the first time, he resembles a developed protagonist. He enacts his chaos without being a jerk. He only sounded like it after two ponies questioned his friendship with Fluttershy because they're nothing alike. His defensiveness makes sense.

Fluttershy continues her growth post-Rainbow Falls. She recognizes how out of character Discord acted in his house. During a time of peril, she got right to work and make his house less orderly. She shows she cares about him and values him as a dear friend.

This is the very first episode to treat their friendship together as genuine. In previous episodes, their friendship feels very one-sided with implications that they don't like each other as much as they say they do. But the Fox Brothers put a great deal of effort to make us want to care for them. The way they view each other isn't one-sided; they dedicate a piece of their time to be together, and Discord wanted to repay the favor.

It also has my favorite moral this season, and it's beyond "Be yourself." It's about how two who have nothing alike can be genuine friends.

This is a great episode, one of S7's best.

And Perfect Pear:

Spoiler

Holy…shit.

Parental Glideance = S7's best episode. Pear tops that.

Best Night Ever = show's best episode. Pear gives it serious competition.

This is only the third episode to make me cry, the others being Amending Fences and Lost Mark. Have Kleenex by your sidebefore watching.

Spoiler

This is the first episode to tell us concrete details of the Apple Siblings' parents: Pear Butter/Buttercup (the mom, voiced by Felicia Day) and Bright Mac (the dad). This is a ponified Romeo & Juliet, but it's more than that. What makes it stand out is the relationship between Buttercup and Bright. Their progression from friendship to romantic relationship is very realistic. Their lovestruck behavior is balanced by playful teasing, chemistry between them, three-dimensional characterizations, and (by George) the beautiful song. This episode is the first time this series to show a realistic portrayal of romance, and it couldn't come at a better time.

The episode doesn't say bluntly that they're dead. But the episode tells us through their actions that they are dead. How close ones talk about them in past tense, the crying when remembering them, the tree that memorializes them, Apple Bloom stating "to remember them by," Granny refusing to step foot onto the Pear grounds out of pain, and the moral being about grieving, healing from longterm regrets, and memorializing loved ones. This episode isn't about how they died, but learning about them and celebrating their lives.

Grand Pear (voiced by Shatner) = the show's most tragic character. Because Buttercup married to an Apple, the Pear clan disowned her. With Buttercup gone, he'll never get the chance to apologize to her.

It also has my favorite moment of the season: When Big Mac asks Burnt Oak if he could return someday to hear more stories, Oak begins to cry. That scene chokes me up. Big Mac really wants to know more about his dad, and the tears tell the audience how much Oak loved Mac and misses him. His tears hone the power in that scene.

The very ending is beautiful. Two trees, a pear and apple tree, were planted in the spot where Buttercup and Bright Mac married with Mayor Mare leading the vows. Both trees intertwine high in the sky with the negative space in the shape of a heart. What a great way to punctuate their legacy, the end of their feud, and celebrate their memories.

What an amazing episode.

 

 

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The time has finally come lads. The first trailer is here!

 

I, um, where to begin here...

For one, that 2D animation is solid as fuck. Though, I guess one of my main concerns at the moment is with the implementation of CGI. It just looks... cheap. Like, home movie cheap. I literally think Home on The Range had better CGI in its animation than this and that movie is well over a decade old and just ... bad. Here's hoping the 2D animation can pull through it all though.

I'm also loving the style here though. Both the music and the character designs are just amazing to me. Hell even a lot of the jokes here had me laughing. Though, another concern I currently have is with Celestia and Luna... again. Ok, I'm sorry but what the fuck? How is Canterlot about to get invaded again? Those two are present in the trailer, where are they when this shit starts happening? Please don't tell me they get put out of the action again. That would literally knock the movie down a couple of points for me on the spot.

Anyways, most of this is actually looking promising so far. Can't wait to see more in the coming months. Hell, it's not even that far off to begin with.

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Some of the 3D looks cheap as shit, but man the 2D animation is looking goooooood.  Really liking what I'm seeing so far.

I think I'm past the point of caring about Celestia and Luna always getting pushed away by some big threat.  In an alternate timeline Equestria was being destroyed by Flim and Flam; they deserve every L they get.

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7 hours ago, Nix said:

I think I'm past the point of caring about Celestia and Luna always getting pushed away by some big threat.  In an alternate timeline Equestria was being destroyed by Flim and Flam; they deserve every L they get.

I see what you mean but that episode was one of the few cases that I was actually pretty ok with. There are a lot of factors that go into fucking with the timeline that could lead to anything happening. Also, Film and Film didn't really look like they had taken over all of Equestria, more like they had industrialized it... which, thinking about that now, probably wasn't that bad of a thing.

I guess I'm just more prone to caring with Luna being my favorite character in the show and all. Really hoping it's more of a matter of the royals have left Twilight incharge while they go do something, not being around to help, rather than them getting blown the fuck out again. I mean favoritism aside, it just never makes sense from a story perspective. By all accounts the royals should be more capable than Twilight. It's more annoying at this point than anything.

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i saw the trailer for the movie and i'm very excited!! it looks awesome to me and sure it might have some sort of cliche plot again but at least they're adding new kinds of ponies. i hope i can watch it when it comes out.

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I still watch it and love it.  I haven't finished up season 6 yet.  I haven't watched season 7.  One of these days I'll get to watching the rest of season 6 and then start watching season 7.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Well, who's up for a double header?! I just watched both Discordant Harmony and The Perfect Pear so I'm just going to jump in here quickly and talk about both:

First up is the Discord episode and it was... surprisingly well thought out. This is actually the first episode that I can recall where Discord isn't a complete asshole. It's actually rather charming seeing him worry about him and Flutter's friendship and how his ways might not be that appealing to her. It also makes for a good lesson at the end.

I also loved the concept that Discord has made his own realm to go crazy with and live in. There were a lot of neat gags here sprinkled into the generally interesting and meaningful moments... all in a Discord episode. Not to mention the fact that Flutters was simply freaking adorable here. I know that should be a given with 7 seasons of a pony cartoon but damn guys, the animators went particularly hard on that factor with her here.

So yeah, overall this episode is definitely a great one for me. I think they might have spent a bit too much time on the reformed^2 Discord (seeing as the flow sort of grinds to a halt there) but Flutter's certainly carried those moments well enough. Got to see a new side of their relationship which made for a fun and meaningful ride.

 

So here's where I thought that the next episode would probably not be as great as Discord's. Hell, I knew it revolved around the Apples so I was hesitant on that end to (seeing as it's rare that I enjoy an episode staring them all).

...but then I watched it...

... and wow...

I'll just flat out say it, this easily makes it into my list for top 5 episodes of the series thus far. I mean the perfect pear? How about a perfect episode! It went out to give feels and succeeds with it at every moment. It's the Romeo and Juliet trope done so damn right that I can't even be bothered with caring about seeing the trope again. It makes for a fantastic lesson on how petty feuds you may have can really hurt the ones around you.

I mean, I'll be honest guys, I could go on for paragraphs here about all the things they did right but I'm pretty sure most of you already know. With the crazy schedule at the moment, I'm kind of late on this one. But now I see exactly where some of you were coming from. The only issue that I took away from this was with how they handled that baby/child scene. Like, they had the baby cakes models back (which I'm usually fine with btw) but this time they were fully talking... yeah, it was weird. But the good news is that was the only issue I had with it.

Seriously though, this is one of the best episodes in the series for me; easily. To think it would come from an Apple family one too. Season 7 has really been full of great surprises so far. Let's hope that this keeps up.

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Ah, I saw these two episodes months back. Discordant Harmony was great, Perfect Pear was...okay. 

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This week’s episode is Discordant Harmony that stars Discord and I got to say that this is probably one of his weakest eps.

And again, like with last episode Not Asking For Trouble there were hardly much things that I liked which is surprising as it is stars Discord. Well, maybe if grasping for straws are some of the times he talks to himself, but that’s just it. I wasn’t feeling it with this one.

This leads to the writing and humor being very weak for me. And even a plot around something like tea parties doesn’t help matters esp. when Discord can’t make them entertaining or even Fluttershy acting chaotically ‘cute’. I was even hoping they skip the tea and join Spike and Big Mac’s next O&O campaign because that is more entertaining than whatever transpired in this ep.

Also, the pacing seemed to slow to a crawl at times. And the moral can be boiled down to your standard “Just Be Yourself” lesson that this series is familiar with time and again. Not to mention I’m not a fan of Fluttercord. Well, not the shipping, but their friendship chemistry feels rather unauthentic or forced. Even Beetlejuice and Lydia whether it be from the movie or cartoon feels more believable. Man, do I miss villainous Discord…

Again, one of the weaker Discord entries for me. I’ll post my thoughts on A Perfect Pear later.

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12 minutes ago, AdventChild said:

And the moral can be boiled down to your standard “Just Be Yourself” lesson that this series is familiar with time and again.

You completely misunderstand the moral. It isn't "be yourself." It's about how those with nothing in common can be true friends. Neither Fluttershy nor Discord have anything in common, as suggested by the clerks. But they're friends, because they're able to understand each other and treat each other as equals. Both of them know one another very well, especially Fluttershy when he was acting completely boring. It's a very mature lesson.

12 minutes ago, AdventChild said:

Well, not the shipping, but their friendship chemistry feels rather unauthentic or forced.

This is the first episode to show their friendship as an actual friendship. Previous episodes TELL us they're friends, but they act anything but. Here, both of them are devoted into quality time together and making each other comfortable. Discord's naivete regarding friendship makes perfect sense, shown by how he takes Pinkie's advice way too literally. When he began to fade away, Fluttershy knew that the only way to help him was to be like him and make his place feel more like him.

The fact that Fluttershy delivered the moral tells long-time bronies how far she's come.

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A Perfect Pear delves into Apple family history and talks about the parents.

Definitely better than last episode and it was okay for me.

The main appeal is of course the history of Apples and Pears with the parents who are forced apart from feuding
families via Romeo and Juliet, you know, just without the violence and brutal death. And I liked the new characters introduced as well as more backstory to recurring casts such as Mrs. Cake and Mayor.

Well, it didn’t give me the feels as with many and probably the only complaint is that I didn’t care for the song. Have no other problems than that.

A nice little episode about tells more about the Apple family and that’s all I have to say about that.

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i saw discordant harmony and perfect pear when they were leaked a while back. i enjoyed them both very much and perfect pear made me tear up. also discordant harmony pleased my discordxfluttershy shipping self oops. both good episodes and i look forward to the next ones!

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To continue the pattern from last year, a review of the first half of season seven, with both tops and bottoms in respective categories. To view the rest:

  1. Season 5
  2. Season 6, 1st Half
  3. Season 6

This was written and published back when Discordant Harmony and Perfect Pear aired early in Australia, so they're both featured in this overview without spoiler tags. So if you haven't seen either and want to read it, be warned.

There's a change or two here. To see the original, click here.


Episodes

Bottom-3:

  1. Hard to Say Anything

    Two words: unadulterated shit. After about 7 to 8 minutes of meandering (but nothing genuinely wrong), the minute Feather Bangs Stereo Pop shows up, the episode flushes down the drain. Big Mac and the CMCs have their worst (and maybe second-worst) characterization in the show (respectively). Big Mac for following on the CMCs' hairbrained schemes to try to woo Sugar Belle, the CMCs for actually believing that the fairy tales are how-to guidebooks. None of the jokes or twists work at any point — Stereo Pop's characterization is a blatantly dated Bieber parody, Stereo Pop's cutie mark resembling an erect penis, the shallow song-off between Mac
    and Stereo Pop. Protip, DHX: Sexual harassment ain't funny, either.

    Big Mac's crush on Sugar is contrived as hell, too; not only for the blatant ending, but also by the fact that we don't actually see it develop; the entire crush plot is unrequited. You could've written this episode much more differently and make it better. Hell, Starlight would've been a fine secondary character. Instead, it's a generic, clichéd, by-the-number plot that DHX couldn't even write well. Hell, continuity stated in the episode was ignored to make it work.
     
  2. Honest Apple

    While the former was marred by a terrible middle and ending, this episode's marred by a terrible beginning and middle all the way to the climax. Rarity acted incompetent and out of character by putting her contest into action despite only two judges signing off on it with no possible backups beforehand in case someone had to cancel. Apple Bloom looked really dumb for not realizing that her bow would cause major problems (and is a contrived plot point to boot).

    But what really drags this episode down is a complete lack of understanding of what makes Applejack the Bearer of Honesty. Does she tell the truth? Absolutely. But tells them while still caring about others' feelings! So, what does she do here? Turn into a complete control freak with no clue how to judge fashion properly and a lust to tear down their work. The worst moment, by far, is shaking the crossed-over-stitched feathers off Lily Lace's hat. An in-character AJ will NEVER pull this stupid stunt! The only way she was able to realize she was verbally abusive was when Strawberry Sunrise (upon introduction from Rarity) received the same abuse in return. We're in season 7; AJ should NOT have to learn about how important tact is when being honest.

    The new characters in the episode? Including Inky Rose, they're all unlikeable, stereotypes, generic, or all of the above. Hopefully, none of them return! :angry:
     
  3. A Royal Problem

    The saving grace in this episode: Starlight. No, her actions were wrong, but the episode built that up to the point where Starlight's nightmare was so soul-crushing that it could've damaged her psyche. More on that a little below.

    Celestia was great in Advice; there, she shows how human she is without devolving her character. The same can't be said here. She and Luna are out of character here. Is it fine for them to bicker as sisters? Totally. But their bickering crossed the line into being personal attacks; each of them treated each other's important roles in Equestrian society as not just pointless, but wasteful, too. On top of that, they never understood that THEY were the friendship problem until Starlight told them directly to their faces, and even then, they were still too dumb to get it till later. (Seriously, Snips and Snails are smarter than them here!)

    When did they finally get it? When they witness Starlight's heartbreaking nightmare. Their lack of appreciation for one another makes no sense, since Luna feeling jealous of her sister and lack of appreciation are why she turned into NMM in the first place. You'd think at their age, they'd figure something out. It's among their five worst appearances for each in the show.

    But the worst moment of the episode comes during the resolution when Celestia tells Starlight that she was right to swap their marks. Firstly, she performed her spell on them against their will. Just because they say it's okay doesn't make it okay. The princess absolve her of her wrongdoing. That side would've been resolved had she asked first and the princesses not act like idiots. Secondly, when they say she did the right thing, Starlight's emotional pain during her terrible nightmare becomes an afterthought. That her self-infliction plot-wise and emotion-wise was pointless.

    Despite quality characterization from Starlight, background music, and animation hints, Celestia's and Luna's out of characterization, idiocy, and incompetence completely kill the episode.

Dishonorable mention: Fluttershy Leans In.

---

Top-3:

  1. The Perfect Pear

    Best episode of the season, and possibly the entire show. Any possible flaws in this episode are complete nitpicks.

    Pear Butter and Bright Mac = best FIM couple and best-written parents of the show. Everything about this couple is the complete opposite of the likes of Flash/Twilight and Sugar Belle/Big Mac: The development of the romance is like someone who knows romance wrote these ponies. Their chemistry from foalhood to matrimony's completely organic and makes complete sense to the audience. They show how much they love each other during and after life.

    Every joke lands.

    Only the third episode to make me cry and did so on a few occasions. One of them when Big Mac asked Burnt Oak if they can return to hear more stories about their dad. More about that later.

    It has some misplaced criticism about them leaving out how they passed as well as Granny avoiding the tree. This isn't that episode. TPP's about celebrating their lives, cherishing their pasts, and letting go. Each note is hit as the episode progresses. Secondly, the entire Pear family disowned Pear Butter for marrying an Apple, and they died early. The marriage site gives her too much pain to deal with. The ending is the perfect closure to this episode.

    "You're in My Head Like a Catchy Song" = best S7 song, and will likely be that way once it ends.

    Grand Pear = show's most tragic character. The night his daughter married and became an Apple is all but the last day he saw her alive. Unfortunately, he'll never apologize to her. And excellent voice acting by William Shatner (and Felicia Day for Pear Butter).
     
  2. Parental Glideance

    Wow.

    That's the word to describe this treasure. Easily the best episode by a debut writer in the series.

    Bow Hothoof and Windy Whistles = character-wise, two of the best canonical parents in the show. They play the ebarrassing parent trope while still subverting the clichés, making them feel like they love Dash, and acting realistic. They're hyper, but so damn lovable.

    The jokes land perfectly.

    *gasp* The Wonderbolts are fucking LIKEABLE! Somepony call the Vatican! We witnessed a miracle! :D

    This episode also shows how to have a likeable character do a Putting Your Hoof Down rant correctly. There, Fluttershy calculatingly insulted both Pinkie and Rarity and then had the blame shifted to Iron Will that night. Here, Dash was at her limit's end, lost her cool, and immediately wanted to make things right.

    The criticism against the moral's execution is a flaw that doesn't even exist. Was Dash right to be upset at her parents? Yes. Some actions (despite having downplayed stakes) were reckless. Does she have the right to yell at them, slap Bow's hoof away, and implicate disownment of them because they embarrass her so much? No, she doesn't. She takes her supportive parents for granted, and Scootaloo would love to experience this feeling just once. Less BSing this hot air, the better.
     
  3. Discordant Harmony

    This is much tamer compared to the other two, but that doesn't make it not good. This is an all-around solid episode.

    Discord has his most likeable performance in the series. He was the spirit of chaos, but in many of his post-villain appearances, he was being a jerk for the sake of it. Here, he shows how much he cares for Fluttershy and wants to be seen as a valuable friend to her. Pinkie's advice's solid, but Discord's naivete with friendship made him take her too literally. Because he and 'Shy are close, it makes sense for him to feel really sensitive when ponies question it.

    Fluttershy continues to show off her growth from past seasons. Unlike Leans In, it does it better. She's not so timid anymore and really shows how much Discord means to her. Not in the way that Keep Calm implicated, but a genuine care for him. Like equals. When Discord became too normal and began to fade away, Fluttershy jumped into action to try to save him. More about her and the moral later.

    Out of every episode, this is the first to actually treat their friendship like one. Prior, the show tells us they're friends, but they don't behave like friends. Here, their friendship feels incredibly genuine, a long-time coming for this show.

Honorable mention: All Bottled Up


S7 episode ranking (so far):

  1. The Perfect Pear: A+
  2. Parental Glideance: A+
  3. Discordant Harmony: A-
  4. All Bottled Up: B+
  5. A Flurry of Emotions: B+
  6. Celestial Advice: B-
  7. Not Asking for Trouble: B-
  8. Forever Filly: C+
  9. Rock Solid Friendship: C+
  10. Fluttershy Leans In: C
  11. A Royal Problem: D+
  12. Honest Apple: F
  13. Hard to Say Anything: F

---

Top-13 episodes (in order, updated):

  1. The Perfect Pear
  2. The Best Night Ever
  3. Crusaders of the Lost Mark
  4. Amending Fences
  5. Sisterhooves Social
  6. Parental Glideance
  7. The Cutie Map
  8. Party of One
  9. Testing Testing 1, 2, 3
  10. Pinkie Pride
  11. Suited for Success
  12. Lesson Zero
  13. Sleepless in Ponyville

Honorable mentions: The Times They Are a Changeling, Flight to the Finish, A Hearth's Warming Tail.

--

Bottom-13 episodes (in order, updated):

  1. One Bad Apple
  2. Bridle Gossip
  3. Newbie Dash
  4. Dragon Quest
  5. The Crystal Empire
  6. Rainbow Falls
  7. 28 Pranks Later
  8. Princess Spike
  9. P.P.O.V.
  10. The Mysterious Mare Do Well
  11. Owl’s Well That Ends Well
  12. The Show Stoppers
  13. Putting Your Hoof Down

Dishonorable Mentions: Boast Busters, Appleoosa’s Most Wanted, Trade Ya!

So far, none of S7's worst come close to qualifying for the Bottom-15. Good. B)


Moral

Bottom moral:

N/A: The purpose of this section is to post the worst moral, period. Execution doesn't matter. So far, none of the morals are objectively bad, even if their execution sometimes isn't great.

---

Top moral:

Discordant Harmony: Your best friend may have nothing in common with you, but you're still true friends because you care for each other.

This is true to just about anyone. Many of us have at least one person we know who have nothing in common in personality, opinions, qualities, 'tude, and preference. Commonness doesn't determine true friendship, but by how much they love each other. Neither Discord nor Fluttershy share anything in common. Their personalities and tastes vastly differ, but they're still friends and show us that. More importantly, she's the one who took him in and trusted him. By delivering that moral, Fluttershy hones in past continuity and growth while not degrading her character.

Honorable mention: Don't hold onto past anger and guilt forever. Celebrate their lives, and pursue new memories with their loved ones (The Perfect Pear).


New Characters:

Characters that appeared either in the background or as cameos in prior seasons don't count.

Bottom character:

Stereo Pop. Fucking Stereo Pop! A blatant, dated parody of teenage Bieber and stereotypical boy bands with a headache-inducing asspull at the end. Without him and a better focus on good writing, Hard would actually be able to go somewhere.

Dishonorable mentions: Strawberry Sunrise (unlikeable asshole), Lily Lace (valley girl stereotype).

---

Top character:

Buttercup & Bright Mac. 'Nuff said.

Honorable mention: Windy Whistles & Bow Hothoof.


Mane 8 (includes Spike and Starlight)

Bottom M8 character:

Applejack. She's the only one of the Mane Eight to have her characterization be so bastardized. Not understanding fashion? Fine. Crossing the line of honesty into smugly bring cruel and being proud of it? NOT okay! Honest Apple crosses PPOV and Somepony for her worst appearance and episode, respectively. (Thankfully, she did much better in Pear.)

Dishonorable mention: Rarity.

---

Top M8 character:

Starlight. Overall, she's the best written and most consistent. After a sloppy redemption arc, DHX seems to be taking a lot more care in writing her correctly. She's not as nervous and hesitant as before, has a sardonic edge, and isn't boring or unlikeable. She still has a ways to go, but the Starlight here has transitioned into a more-self-confident pony.

Plus, she's given much proper use. Last season, she was treated as someone who could be plugged in for the sake of it. This season, she feels a lot like a character who belongs in Ponyville. Her role in Rock Solid's fantastic, and it's a nice touch how she worked with the RM7 to build Fluttershy's sanctuary.

Honorable mention: Rainbow Dash.

---

Full M8 rank (in order):

  1. Starlight Glimmer
  2. Rainbow Dash
  3. Spike
  4. Twilight Sparkle
  5. Fluttershy
  6. Pinkie Pie
  7. Rarity
  8. Applejack

Moment:

Bottom-2 moments:

  1. Big Mac forcing an attempted kiss on a sleeping Sugar Belle. Ah, nuthin' like a scene that says, "Hey! As long as it's a comedy, sexually harassing girls is a-okay!" Anyone who thinks this…
    Big_McIntosh_puckering_his_lips_S7E8.png

    this…
    Big_McIntosh's_puckered_lips_in_Sugar_Be

    AND THIS…
    Sugar_Belle_startled_by_Big_Mac's_kiss_a

    …is okay or funny is lying. Big Mac's trying to force a kiss on Sugar Belle, who had no idea he was there! If SB showed or said anything to suggest that she knew he was there and teased him, then this moment won't look as bad. As is, it has NO business anywhere, especially in an education-centric cartoon like this one! I doubt there will be a moment worse than this one for the rest of the season.
     
  2. Celestia tells Starlight how swapping their talents was the right decision. Already explained why it's such a wreck earlier.

Dishonorable mentions: AJ destroys Lily Lace's hat; Celly and Luna fight.

---

Top-2 moments:

  1. Big Mac asks Burnt Oak if he could return in the future to hear more stories about his dad. This tearjerker is full of great detail. Big Mac being the one to ask breaks away from his "eeyup" gag and makes knowing more about his parents feel more important. After he asks, Burnt Oak cries, indicating clearly how much he missed his close friend. Little touches in episodes like this one turns a great episode into an amazing one. Amazing direction! 
     
  2. Bow Hothoof admits to installing the music by himself. Firstly, best joke of the season. Secondly, narrows Dash's parents down perfectly. They devote their entire lives to their daughter and cherish her, period. It helped build up the fallout later on.

Honorable mention: Pear sings to Mac.


What I want for Season 7, second half:

  1. Clean up Rarity's characterization. Dash is better; AJ on the right track.
     
  2. Until PG, every episode felt like lost potential. I can't exactly put my finger on it, but it felt like there could've been more polish on the scripts, even the good ones. It seemed like they didn't edit them as well as hoped for. Afterwards, they've been better, but hopefully, that lost potential feel can be put to rest.
     
  3. Continue Starlight's development.
     
  4. So far, the difference in episode quality is staggering. The best episodes of Season 6 weren't THAT good, while the worst were REALLY awful. This season's the opposite: Even when they're horrible, they're not so awful that they qualify for the worst of the series. Hard was closest, and it ain't that close. Remember, this is a team full of new writers. If you want proof how important an editor is to the show, this is it; Josh Haber knew how to write Spike, but was a really poor editor. Credit goes to The Sister Writers for keeping them all in check and pushing forth new ideas while making them work. Hopefully, nothing bottom-10 level will come.

    And watch out for your unfortunate implications!
     
  5. From my S5 review:
    Quote

    [Stereotypes are] a shortcut and a major flaw in this show. If you're going to use stereotypes, then why the hell should I believe you care about the quality of your work? This show is supposed to teach people (especially kids) that people are more than just false representations, but this show sometimes screws this up badly. Put in some effort into your tropes!

    In layman's terms, less of Lily Lace, Stereo Pop, Inky Rose, and Star Streak. More of Burnt Oak or Windy Whistles.
     
  6. From my S6 review:
    Quote

    More episodes of the characters at their best. One huge change of pace in Season 5 was its lack of reliance of the characters overcoming a flaw within themselves. Pinkie Pie, Rarity, the CMCs, AJ, and Twilight all used their best qualities as dominant vessels in the conflict to solve a problem. When the episode isn't good, they're the highlights. Gauntlet and Viva did that, too. Each of the Mane Eight have strengths; put them into good use more.

    May nor happen this season, but y'never know.


Verdict:

While S6's the worst, S7's one of the best. After a slow start, it's picked up. Some episodes are more flawed than others, but other than three, none of them get near the bad territory. If the worst the rest of the way is as average as FLI or as bad as A Royal Problem, fine. But if there are many great episodes the rest of the way, even better. The first half has better characterization, better plots, better execution, and better quality control. Currently, it's above Season 1 in third place. Hopefully, the second half will do just as well.

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7 minutes ago, Dark Qiviut said:

Celestia was great in Advice; there, she shows how human she is without devolving her character. The same can't be said here. She and Luna are out of character here. Is it fine for them to bicker as sisters? Totally. But their bickering crossed the line into being personal attacks; each of them treated each other's important roles in Equestrian society as not just pointless, but wasteful, too. On top of that, they never understood that THEY were the friendship problem until Starlight told them directly to their faces, and even then, they were still too dumb to get it till later. (Seriously, Snips and Snails are smarter than them here!)

When did they finally get it? When they witness Starlight's heartbreaking nightmare. Their lack of appreciation for one another makes no sense, since Luna feeling jealous of her sister and lack of appreciation are why she turned into NMM in the first place. You'd think at their age, they'd figure something out. It's among their five worst appearances for each in the show.

Gonna have to hard disagree with you on this one man. I think this is the most characterization we've gotten out of the two in 7 seasons so while there isn't much to go on, their actions here make sense.

Their argument comes off as nothing more than sibling bickering. No one is really free when it comes to that so it makes sense as to how they don't see it as a real issue. Hell, the episode even half says that when it has Twilight being the one freaking out while Starlight really isn't all that worried about it all at first. She only gets worried later on when Twilight's words sink in enough to make her paranoid.

Beyond that, their disagreements were really only on a surface level. That yeah, to those who don't do it, smiling all day doesn't seem like that big of an issue. Or, for those not there, changing flowers can seem counterproductive. I feel as though the only real reasons they were thanking Starlight at the end was because they were able to see, not what could happen in the real world, but more of what it was doing to Starlight. The entire situation can best be linked to the situation of two parents arguing about something minimal (like who's going to the store next to get milk) and the child coming in after hearing their friend tell them the wrong and super hyperbole case of they're about to break up or something.

Though, I do see your point with the cutie mark swap. Starlight has been that OP for a while though and, by the end of it, it really didn't hurt my enjoyment of the episode too much. Lets just say that I'm taking up a much bigger issue with what the movie is going to do but that's a topic for another day.

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