Thoughts on season 2?

[AramekYour MRI results have shown total infection to now be approximately one fifth of the full mass of the tissue."So you're saying..."Your brain is about 20% tumor.]

I like that episode. I don't get all the hate.

That's me with every episode.

You should all feel bad.

[numsOic]

Well, the horrid episodes all shared one thing in common to me: shoehorning. It felt like they had a story and places they had to be, then shoved the characters in there, organic development be damned. Mare Do Well was basically a superhero story. More than half the cast were out of character in MMMMystery, and HWE, oh, let's have the 6 of them in Canterlot, performing a play for everyone! :effort:

They all had enjoyable elements but they just have pretty huge gaps you have to leap to get to them. I dont know what to do about MMDW, MMMMystery could stand to have been less contrived, and with HWE why not just have the cast performing locally (after a mysterious accident injures all the ponies with acting cutie marks ). These arent the only episodes with the shoehorning problem, it's pretty blatant in Canterlot Wedding as well, but they're just enjoyable enough that I can overlook it.

The play in HWE seemed to me like a believable and organic way to narrate a bit of fantasized history while keeping the main six present to some degree. It's interesting to see how the characters in the play kept only the roughest, most basic character traits of their actors while the relationships between them are akin to an alternate universe version of the main six, sort of like if they had lived in another time. I really have no issue with it and I thought the way they handled it was pretty clever. It was better than how they handled MDW, anyway. If your issue is that they were in Canterlot instead of Ponyville, what does it matter? It stops being relevant as soon as the play starts, which isn't the case with the other two episodes. Obviously, they probably won't be able to pull it off again, but it was well executed, in my opinion.

[The DoctorTurner Of All Things Timey Wimey]

Yeah, HWE might not have been a top tier episode, but it was a fun piece of world building, and didn't have the out of character actions that killed MDW and MMMystery.

[numsOic]

Well, it "did", in a way, but that'd be like complaining that Sean Connery was out of character in James Bond.

[NisslMarching bravely into a bold new pony future]

You know, MMMystery didn't bother me *that* much. My reaction was just, "ouch, they really blew the confession scene, and they needed to add another scene where they went over the top with those characters getting into the cake. Oh well."

It wasn't a design flaw like MMDW, and everyone stayed reasonably in character for the rest of the episode even if there was a lot of parody going on.

[blasmeisterIt is justice, not charity, that is wanting in the world.]

Yeah, I agree that MMMystery doesn't deserve being grouped with MDW in terms of being ruined by mischaracterisation. It just needed to do a little better job at selling the motive, wich didn't really seem to have much thought put into it (having it be the fault of Pinkie Pie's Powers of Pudding Persuasion would work). Everything else in the episode was great.

Edit - shamelessly stolen from the macro thread:





Edit Edit: I guess I should do one of my own ranking posts too while I'm here

In order of preference

tier
Last Roundup
Sisterhooves Social
A Canterlot Wedding
Sweet and Elite
The return of Harmony
Putting your Hoof Down
Hurricane Fluttershy
Secrets of My excess

tier
Lesson Zero
Baby Cakes
Hearts and Hooves Day
Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000
A Friend In Deed
Luna Eclipsed
Ponyville Confidential
May the Best Pet Win

Tier
MMMystery on the Friendship express
Read it and Weep
Family Appreciation Day
It's About Time
Hearth's-Warming Eve
Dragon Quest
Cutie Pox

tier
MMDW (but I still like a lot of the episode! )

[Kalkkis]

Yeah I thought MMMystery was a funny episode even if the characterization wasn't very strong.

Ponies just can't resist delicious cake.

[ROBOT B9I am just about to be BRILLIANT!]

I love MMMMystery, if only because it showed us more of how Pinkie Pie sees the world around her.

[Doctor Wheeze]

I can take or leave most of HWE, but the Private Pansy costume is amazing

(Commander Hurricane is pretty cool too)

[HuffyTheMagicDragonboop]

I can take or leave most of HWE, but the Private Pansy costume is amazing

(Commander Hurricane is pretty cool too)

Yeah, one of my favorite parts of HWE is the visual designs we get to see in the "play", the costumes and architecture. Dark Age pre-Equestria society is pretty grim, really. All those starving peasant ponies in their thatched-roof hovels, while the unicorns live in a huge foreboding castle, and the pegasi fly around in an even more ancient Greek version of Cloudsdale, with cool murals on the walls. It was all a lot darker than the Equestria we know now. Actually I'd love to see them revisit it somehow.

[jerrylee]

Yeah, add me to the list of people who weren't nearly as bothered by MMMM as by MMDW. MMMM was a generally fun and engaging episode that had a little bit of out-of-characterness with the exact choice of the culprits, or at least with the lack of consequences. On the other hand, MMDW's entire plot hinged on varying degrees of mischaracterization, at first of Dash and then of the rest of the cast. You'd have to work a lot harder to bring it back in line.

[brakelessA pegasus will fly long and hard for a bit of gilded brass.]

Hearth's Warming Eve was a fantastic episode

There was a subtle socialist message and everything. What's not to love?

[ReDeadSuperDuper]

You´re putting the episodes in tiers here, huh? I guess I coulkd try to do that too...

Awesome-tier:
The Return of Harmony
Lesson Zero
The Last Roundup
A Friend in Deed
A Canterlot Wedding

Great-tier:
Luna Eclipsed
Sisterhooves Social
Sweet and Elite
The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000
MMMystery on the Friendship Express

Good-tier:
May the Best Pet Win!
Secret of My Excess
Family Appreciation Day
Hearts and Hooves Day
Ponyville Confidential
Dragon Quest
Hurricane Fluttershy
Putting Your Hoof Down
It's About Time

Meh-tier
The Cutie Pox
The Mysterious Mare Do Well
Hearth's Warming Eve
Baby Cakes
Read It and Weep

[SlateSlabrock]

HWE was great; only the song was kind of lacking. Pegasususes.

MMMM was more a case of not having enough time to really explore the premise. I think it only really suffered by letting everyone off the hook at the end because they only had room for one moral.

Mare-Do-Well was totally better than people gave it credit for being.

If we're grousing, Baby Cakes didn't really appeal to me (maybe because I never babysat). Not a fan of crying kids.

[HuffyTheMagicDragonboop]

I don't really think Rainbow Dash was all that out of character in Mare-Do-Well. Her friends were, sure, but the way Dash went from "Wow, what's with this crowd?" to basking in the spotlight seemed believable enough to me.

I still can't hate MMDW, if only because it gave us "Bucky McGillicutty and Kicks McGee."

[The DoctorTurner Of All Things Timey Wimey]

I don't really think Rainbow Dash was all that out of character in Mare-Do-Well. Her friends were, sure, but the way Dash went from "Wow, what's with this crowd?" to basking in the spotlight seemed believable enough to me.

I still can't hate MMDW, if only because it gave us "Bucky McGillicutty and Kicks McGee."

Agreed, but 5/6 being total jerks was a bit much. And Rainbow later went out of character in MMMystery with Rarity and Fluttershy.

Sorry, but I just can't buy "Pinkie's persuasion powers" causing either of those three (or any of the others) to destroy something that means so much to Pinkie and the Cakes.

[AramekYour MRI results have shown total infection to now be approximately one fifth of the full mass of the tissue."So you're saying..."Your brain is about 20% tumor.]

I think that's a lot more funny, though. Pinkie shatters willpower.

[The DoctorTurner Of All Things Timey Wimey]

There was actaully one thing that could be argued for Rainbow Dash acting out of character. Until that episode, and never after, has Rainbow Dash been shown as the jealous type. Applebuck Season, Dash openly praises AJ's actions in stopping the stampede. In Dragonshy, she did mistakenly think that Fluttershy would not be of any use, but there was no effort on her part to hog the glory for herself. She happily works with others to help the town, like in Swarm of the Century, Return of harmony, and all the other adventure themed episodes.

Prideful, yes. Arrogant, sure, but jealousy is not really a trait ever shown in her. Closest she ever came would be in SSCS6000, but that was more frustration that Pinkie was hogging everything and that the Apples never made enough, than jealousy.

[Headless Horse]

There's the "Well it SHOULD be the Rainbow Dash show! " thing in HWE. I chalk that up to Williams taking her time "getting" Dash and realizing that she isn't just some bragging anime character, her thing is comic insensitivity.

[The DoctorTurner Of All Things Timey Wimey]

There's the "Well it SHOULD be the Rainbow Dash show! " thing in HWE. I chalk that up to Williams taking her time "getting" Dash and realizing that she isn't just some bragging anime character, her thing is comic insensitivity.

But again, there's a difference between bragging and arrogance and jealousy at others success, which is something that Rainbow Dash has never shown outside of MMDW.

[FrosthawkI don't mind straight people, as long as they act gay in public.]

By the time Dragon Quest rolled around, it seems like Williams did have a much better feel for the characters, especially Rainbow Dash. Unlike MMDW and HWE, which both had a few very-off moments with some of the characterization and lines ("I spy somepony eating a Gingerbread House! And it's ME!"), Dragon Quest seemed pretty on-the-level. For future season 3 episode, I don't think we need to worry about the ones Williams writes (assuming she's still on the team - she is, right?).



For a pretty rough tier-ranking


Hurricane Fluttershy
Canterlot Wedding
Return to Harmony
The Last Roundup
Sisterhooves Social
Super Cider Squeezy 6000
It's About Time



Lesson Zero
Luna Eclipsed
May the Best Pet Win
Secret of my Excess
Sweet and Elite
Family Appreciation Day
Putting your Hoof Down
Dragon Quest


Cutie Pox
Hearth's Warming Eve
Hearts and Hooves
Read it and Weep
Baby Cakes
MMMystery
Ponyville Confidential



A Friend in Deed (I'm pretty sure this is a very unpopular opinion, for what it's worth I still enjoyed it for the most part, that's just how good the season's been)
Mysterious Mare do Well (But this...)

[SlateSlabrock]

Prideful, yes. Arrogant, sure, but jealousy is not really a trait ever shown in her. Closest she ever came would be in SSCS6000, but that was more frustration that Pinkie was hogging everything and that the Apples never made enough, than jealousy.

And that's why she has the element of HONESTY!

[numsOic]

But again, there's a difference between bragging and arrogance and jealousy at others success, which is something that Rainbow Dash has never shown outside of MMDW.

It's not really jealousy so much as someone stealing her spotlight big time. The way they approached it made it seem like she had a thirst for revenge, which is still way outside Dash's usual character since she's not actively malicious like that.

[ReDeadSuperDuper]

A Friend in Deed (I'm pretty sure this is a very unpopular opinion, for what it's worth I still enjoyed it for the most part, that's just how good the season's been)

It's so funny how different opinions people can have, considering that is one of my absolute favourites.

[DurandalHOLY MANURE CASTLES]

My only disappointment about the whole season?

No Applejack song

[Baron PorkfaceI'd love to get my hands on a Lyra Tag. Get it? Get it?]

I thought there were too many pop-style songs. Lacked the diversity of season 1, and there wasn't a big, long orchestral blowout piece like at the gala.

[Scuderia Ferrarity]

Say what you like about Mare Do Well's weaknesses, it's not short on gags.

^. which I'm only 1/3 through.

Hurry up and finish! The next episode is coming up on Saturday!

[Wayoshi]

^Gags a FiM episode does not solely make.

I do intend on doing my own tier list with some explanations, but I'd like things to settle down, and for that me that includes finishing the FFT of the finale (I'm still flip-flopping between A and A- for that one)... which I'm only 1/3 through.

[FrosthawkI don't mind straight people, as long as they act gay in public.]

Filly Dash?

[Whitenoise PosterI am going to eat this entire oak tree because I am a powerful wizard!]

I don' care what anyone says about the episode the whole peanut butter jar scene was solid gold.

[NisslMarching bravely into a bold new pony future]

List time? Here's my Season 2 list, then... at least for tonight.

1. Hurricane Fluttershy
2. The Last Roundup
3. The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000
4. Sisterhooves Social
5. A Canterlot Wedding Pt. 2
6. Return of Harmony Pt. 2
7. Secret of My Excess
8. A Friend in Deed
9. May the Best Pet Win
10. Ponyville Confidential
11. Putting Your Hoof Down
12. Read it and Weep
13. Lesson Zero
14. Return of Harmony Pt. 1
15. A Canterlot Wedding Pt. 1
16. Family Appreciation Day
17. Hearts and Hooves Day
18. Mmmystery on the Friendship Express
19. Sweet and Elite
20. Luna Eclipsed
21. It's About Time
22. Dragon Quest
23. Baby Cakes
24. Hearth’s Warming Eve
25. The Cutie Pox
26. The Mysterious Mare Do Well

[Opposing FarceDon't you smile at my faceSpit on my backDo you kiss your mother with a mouth like that?]

I don' care what anyone says about the episode the whole peanut butter jar scene was solid gold.

Mare-Do-Well was a cool premise with some really fun individual moments that ended up being overshadowed by a couple of really unfortunate problems with how it handled the overall story and resolution.

[numsOic]

The premise itself was kind of flawed. Ponyville has the Main Six, why would it need a "superhero"? The whole idea is just a really weird way of putting Rainbow Dash in a position of fame that could be taken from her. Maybe they could've done something more closely involving her flying skills and the fact she did a Sonic Rainboom in Canterlot or something.

[Mad SurgeGames games games, that's what I lovePonygoons gaming and a pie in the stove!]

Damn, I must be very easy to please then. "Owl's well that ends well" is the only episode i really hated in the whole series so far, because it had too little jokes and it was mostly boring. I agree on the Mare-do-well episode to be the worst of the season, but it wasn't that bad for me. Maybe I like RD being trolled, I don't know I also liked the shoutouts to Batman and Darkwing Duck (despite never seeing the latter).

[Headless Horse]

Owl's Well is polarizing, but when I first saw it it struck me as on of the most "mature" eps the show had ever done, right up there with SFS in tone and psychological depth; and the unhurried beauty of the meteor shower scene remains one of the top moments in the series for me. It was kinda like a precursor to some of the more introspective parts of S2 in a way.

[kefkafloyd]

I thought Mare-Do-Well was a framework to have some very funny jokes and unfortunately just falls apart as a whole for various reasons. I think the reason why it disappoints people so much is that it had the potential to be great. I'll give Merriweather a pass on it because it was her first episode and she clearly got better as the season went along.

It's not a great episode and I understand why people don't like it, but Mare-Do-Well herself is just cool.

[AramekYour MRI results have shown total infection to now be approximately one fifth of the full mass of the tissue."So you're saying..."Your brain is about 20% tumor.]

Yeah, like, it is, to me, the least good episode, but, I still found myself loving it the whole time it was on. They made fun faces, and there was cool action and excitement and shit!
"And I did that flyby!"
"Bucky McGillicuddy, and Kicks McGee." (Which MAY be my favourite line in all of season 2. If not, it is way up there.)

It was a good episode full of great gags. I still would give it a 7/10, because I did like it, just not as much as all the other episodes.

[Mr. BigGood boy, Perry!]

The episodes I favor tend to be heavy on gags. My all time favorite season 2 episode, for example, is "It's About Time" (for season 1, "Feeling Pinkie Keen").

It makes sense. Gags are what you remember the most when watching cartons, and FIM is no exception.

One thing I love about season 2 are the increase of gags in episodes. Hopefully season 3 will be as well.

[AramekYour MRI results have shown total infection to now be approximately one fifth of the full mass of the tissue."So you're saying..."Your brain is about 20% tumor.]

"Season 3: All Pies in All Faces All the Time."

New Forum subtitle.

[Mad SurgeGames games games, that's what I lovePonygoons gaming and a pie in the stove!]

I thought Mare-Do-Well was a framework to have some very funny jokes and unfortunately just falls apart as a whole for various reasons. I think the reason why it disappoints people so much is that it had the potential to be great. I'll give Merriweather a pass on it because it was her first episode and she clearly got better as the season went along.

It's not a great episode and I understand why people don't like it, but Mare-Do-Well herself is just cool.

^ this. All of my love.
I guess Spike being jealous doesn't amuse me as Rarity hamming it up then. But maybe it was the utter lack of ponies in the second part of the episode