EP 1: Celestial Advice
Rating: 4 3 4
We open learning Starlight, Trixie, Discord, and Thorax are getting medals of honor which indicates this is very soon after last season's finale. Medals of honor is also uncapitalised meaning it's a general term and not an official name for the medals. Twilight meanwhile is sneaking around in Starlight's room as Spike distracts Glimmy so Twilight can get measurements for some mirror she plans to gift Starlight. Anyways, in this season's theme song, Starlight no longer looks like she has a gun pointed to her head.
At the ceremony, Celestia calls the medals the Equestrian Pink Hearts of Courage. I also need to point out, look at the blue stallion below talking to the embezzler. Look at his cutie mark. There's no way this isn't an animator's OC.
I love how Trixie's medal is over her cape jewel.
Discord decides to harass Twilight, asking about her plans with Starlight to which she goes on about friendship lessons. Discord calls out her idiocy of continuing friendship lessons after Glimmy just won a medal for essentially using the power of friendship to reform an entire species. I think Twilight does have reason to continue them as Starlight has gone through a lot less than Twilight. Starlight even has gone months without any friendship lessons as deduced last season.
Discord conducts a troll op to make Twilight panic about having to announce something to Starlight so she ends up going to Celestia for advice and meets her in the map room. Celestia also sits in Twilight's seat which I found quite amusing. Twilight comes to the realization she'll have to send Starlight away since that's what Celestia did to her. Celestia tells her to figure it out which leads to Twilight considering where to send Starlight and she uses a spell to simulate the potential outcomes of the locations. Celestia also has been oblivious to the fact her name is used as an expression.
After Twilight witnesses Starlight die in one of her simulations and starts crying, Celestia starts laughing at her for being a crybaby. Turns out Celestia had the same worries for Twilight Twilight's having for Starlight. Celestia talks about how Twilight's studies were keeping her isolated so she had to make the tough choice to send her away to socialize. This reminds me of all the times in my life people have tried to get me to socialize as a child by putting me in programs and crap. All of them either completely backfired and I ended up ruining things or they did absolutely nothing at all to help me so I can't really say I relate to Twilight's positive outcome of being forced to socialize.
Anyways, Celestia has a flashback and look at the cute little ponies!
But the other five didn't really know each other before Twilight came except for Rainbow Dash and Flutters and Fluttershy would've been too shy to be bouncing around with the others regardless at this point so this had to be a writing error or something. They also look like late teenagers here but older than Applejack looked in Where The Apple Lies so Celestia initially planned to send Twilight away only a few years before she actually did.
Twilight then makes the announcement Starlight can do whatever the fuck she wants, resulting in Discord's troll op failing. The others then want to celebrate with Starlight in various ways with Discord wanting to go on a chaos spree including turning the Canterlot castle into cheese. Ima be real with you, what's the point of any cheese other than mozzarella existing? Even if something requires another cheese, it's just fine if not better with mozzarella instead. We should replace all cheese with mozzarella. Blue cheese is also good. We can keep that one too.
Has a few amusing parts so 4 EV. Nothing to vibe with so 3 VB. Continues from last season's finale and progresses Starlight's character so 4 DV.
I remember this episode having an animation error when it premiered, that being one of Twilight's eyes snapping. I didn't notice this in any of my viewings for these so they must have fixed it afterwards unlike most of the other animation errors, assuming this is the correct episode.
EP 2: All Bottled Up
Rating: 4 4 4
We open on Twilight's castle with increased bloom. Glimmy's trying to bake while Trixie is practicing actual magic, attempting to perform transfiguration. She eventually succeeds and transfigures a thing into a teacup, starting Trixie's teacup thing. I remember back when this aired, I knew immediately Trixie and teacups were gonna be a meme. Also she has two eye glints now.
However, Trixie ends up fucking Starlight up with her teacup antics, pissing her off.
Turns out the Mane 6 are going on a friendship retreat thing and Starlight wanted to give them teacakes as a farewell gift which Trixie has now ruined. The Mane 6 fuck off and now Glimmy can teach Trixie magic. Oh yeah, everyone is pissing Glimmy off, causing some red smoke thing to come from her horn as a metaphor for anger.
Meanwhile, the Mane 6 are in Manehatten doing some escape room thing. The train ride from Ponyville to Manehatten must be fast.
Meanwhile, Trixie ends up teleporting the castle map to an unknown location. Glimmy's panicking while Trixie doesn't give a fuck. Glimmy then puts her anger in a bottle in an obvious metaphor for bottling up anger and now anyone can predict the outcome of this episode.
Meanwhile, the Mane 6 solve a puzzle.
Meanwhile, Trixie and Glimmy are looking for the map. Glimmy's fucking pissed while Trixie is happy as can be, enjoying cinnamon nuts. After visiting Sweet Apple Acres, Trixie's skipping through town with joy very cutely while Starlight looks like she's about to shoot the place up.
Then the anger bottle thing breaks and the anger smoke stuff affects other ponies causing them to attack Trixie.
Meanwhile, the Mane 6 solve the thing and do a song that's really good.
Meanwhile, Starlight has to confess she's fucking pissed at Trixie to get her attackers to stop. Somehow, the ponies that were essentially brainwashed just don't give a fuck and everything's resolved. We also get a callback to when Trixie and Glimmy met and the previous episode.
Alright episode so 4 EV. I guess the message of not bottling up anger is fine so 4 VB. Although, it doesn't address what to do in cases where telling people your feelings isn't an option. 4 DV for Trixie learning magic, Glimmy and Trixie's friendship advancing, and callbacks.
EP 3: A Flurry Of Emotions
Rating: 2 2 3
Twilight's supposed to visit sick foals in the hospital but Shining and Cadance come make her take care of Flurry Fuck as they go fuck off to some modern art exhibit.
Apparently Flurry Fuck can understand language just fine too even though she's less than two years old according to my timeframe theory. She also can't talk even though babies begin speaking around one year old. Stupid baby can't even talk. What, is she autistic?
Meanwhile at the art gallery, Shining and Cadance realize modern art is utter fucking shit.
Then Twilight, Spike, and the little shit go to the store where it then fucks shit up and Twilight has to clean its mess. They then go to Cheerilee's schoolhouse to pick up a book and Twilight mentions Pony Latin. So how the fuck do language families work in Equestria? Is Pony Latin in a different language family from Old Ponish like how Old English and Latin are? The little shit then ruins what Cheerilee had on the chalk board and now she has to spend a long time writing it all again.
Then they go to Sugarcube Corner for something and Flurry Heart ends up pissing off the Cake twins, causing them to attack her. Not even other babies like the little fucker. They finally arrive at the hospital to help the sick foals and the little shit begins fucking everything up because she lost her stuffed animal. Probably the only non-stupid thing she's done so far. If I had lost one of my favorite stuffed animals as a kid, there would've been hell to pay. Also, here's some unironic advice for parents: Don't fucking take away a child's stuffed animals in a vain attempt to get them to grow up. It's not gonna fucking work and will only create resentment.
Twilight then makes the little shit stop fucking shit up or something and everything's resolved.
Boring episode so only 2 EV. Flurry Heart episode so only 2 VB. Fuck Flurry Heart. No actual development so 3 DV.
EP 4: Rock Solid Friendship
Rating: 5 6 4
I lost my notes for the next four episodes because apparently Fossify Notes decided to just not save the text. So thank you Fossify Notes, very cool! Luckily, I forget to look at my notes half the time anyways so it shouldn't make a difference.
Maud's graduating from rock college and gets her rocktorate. We also learn Boulder is magnesium-rich basalt. Maud also earns the title Dr. Pie. After an exhaustive speech and accepting her degree, we learn she wants to move to either Ponyville or Ghastly Gorge to continue her rock studies.
In the Ponyville caves, Pinkie and Maud come across Rarity and Spike gem hunting. After Maud finds a supposedly rare gem, she reveals they're actually common. She then makes Rarity cry by revealing all the gems in the cave are common and now the market value of Rarity's dresses will drop and massively decrease her profits. Sweetie Belle may have to be sold into indentured servitude.
Later, Maud blackpills Pinkie on Twilight's castle's crystal structure by stating how rocks are a common building material and the castle is made of common crystals like the ones they found in the cave. Pinkie then tries to trick Maud into thinking non-rock things are rocks including Tank who is apparently just free to roam around town and Lyra who Pinkie threatens into pretending to be a rock.
Maud then reveals she's considering moving to Ponyville so she hopefully won't be a friendless loser anymore. Pinkie reveals Maud's full name is Maudalina Daisy Pie. Then Starlight just walks out of the castle, bumping into Maud and they reveal they've met before. We see a flashback to the early days of Starlight's village where Starlight comes across Maud and asks her where she can find a stone to store cutie marks to which she tells Starlight exactly where to find one. Pinkie tells Maud not to tell anyone she accidentally helped Starlight "enslave" a town but Starlight never enslaved them. She only manipulated and threatened them into staying. Never was there any indication slavery existed in the village. Maud doesn't give a fuck about the supposed enslavement stating "It's not like she's enslaved anypony lately.".
Maud then goes with Starlight to do errands and in the market, Maud states how rocks change properties when interacting with magic before also stating how with the right stone, one could rule all of Equestria. Something tells me Maud could become the ruler of Equestria but chooses not to. Glimmy reveals she likes kites so they go kiting. Pinkie is spying on them and throws a pizza at Derpy.
Not wanting to deal with Pinkie's shit, they fuck off without her. At the gem cave, Maud states Boulder is over 2,000 years old. He may be the oldest character in MLP. Maud then says a reason she likes rocks is because they don't exclude her for being different. So clearly, Maud has faced some bullshit for her unique traits. In one of the Comic-Con panel bonus features, someone asked if the writers had considered making an episode focused on an autistic character to which Meghan McCarthy flatly said "yes". I actually wonder if Maud is that character. In Maud Pie, I stated how Maud made my spergometer go off and she does the same this episode.
They find a flora-rich cavern next only for Pinkie to come by being an obnoxious cunt. She then blows up the cave to purposely trap them only for Maud and Boulder to quickly find an exit, ruining Pinkie's plan. Pinkie then puts fucking cowbells on them to track them like she's some glowie. Maud is clearly getting tired of her shit.
Maud fucks off to Ghastly Gorge and Starlight tells Pinkie she was being an obnoxious cunt. At Ghastly Gorge, Maud gets fucking eaten so Pinkie has to save her after using her glowie powers to track her down. After rescuing her, Maud reveals she's always been alone suggesting she never had any actual friends. Maud then decides to live in Ponyville in the cavern she discovered. In the shot showing her new home, the bloom is increased again.
Funny and entertaining Maud hijinx so 5 EV. 6 VB because just like Maud Pie, this episode is pretty autism-adjacent especially with how Maud implies ponies usually don't like her because of how different she is and how she's been alone all her life. Her befriending Starlight is also a much better conclusion to the episode than the ending of Maud Pie which felt shallow. 4 DV because Maud gets a new home and befriends Starlight.
EP 5: Fluttershy Leans In
Rating: 4 4 5
Angel fucks his leg up doing parkour so Fluttershy has to take him to the vet since she's out of medical supplies.
The veterinarian's being overworked so Fluttershy decides to make an animal sanctuary. She gets the others to help her and three know specialists who can help her make the thing. The specialists however think Fluttershy's ideas are fucking stupid and do things their own way. There's also a scene where the picture Fluttershy holds up as her idea for the sanctuary flips between shots.
Because they won't do what Fluttershy tells them, she fires them all and then the animals from the vet clinic come and destroy what's been built. Fluttershy instead has her friends and the leader of the McColts build the thing instead.
Where did Fluttershy gets the money to hire the specialists and buy materials anyways? How does she make money at all? I know how the others make money but I could never figure out how she does. Twilight was funded by Celestia and now probably lives off taxes since becoming a princess. Rarity has her clothing business. The Apple family has their farm. Rainbow Dash worked as a weather pony and now as a Wonderbolt. Pinkie works in Sugarcube Corner. But we don't know how Fluttershy makes money. Does she just have her animals scrounge around town for loose bits or something? I've also noticed Pinkie is the only one not really advancing in life.
Alright episode so 4 EV. 4 VB for the message of standing up for your vision. Parts of this episode also feel like an antithesis to Suited For Success I noticed. 5 DV because Fluttershy is advancing her dream of helping animals and this is a giant milestone towards her efforts.
EP 6: Forever Filly
Rating: 4 4 4
We start at Rarity's Canterlot boutique where Sassy talks about a winter to spring transition. Sassy's freaking the fuck out over a bunch of stuff while Rarity has everything already dealt with. After Rarity sees a photo of herself and Sweetie, she decides to take a vacation to be with her.
Meanwhile, the CMC are off doing cutie mark business in what I can't tell if is in Ponyville or some other town because we see a town layout we've never seen before at the base of a very large hill.
Turns out the CMC pretty much have an entire business with the cutie mark consultations. As they're about to help a little filly with her puppy, Rarity bursts into the clubhouse, assaulting the client on the way in. Apple Bloom and Scoots tell Sweetie to go hang out with Rarity while they work with the client so Rarity will stop harassing them.
Rarity brings Sweetie to some wack-ass puppet show and Sweetie at a point says she prefers "black box experimental theater" which is apparently a real thing. Then Rarity brings her to an ice cream shop which she still doesn't like. Even adults like ice cream; why does she think it's lame? You know how fast food places always advertise their ice cream products with toppings stirred into a cup? I always hated this kind of crap. I always just wanted the plain vanilla ice cream without the stirred-in crap but no, that's not an option. And why the fuck isn't there coffee ice cream anywhere?
Meanwhile, Apple Bloom and Scoots are helping the filly with her dog and Scoots shows the dog how to fetch with Apple Bloom saying "Good Scootaloo" in a very amusing moment.
Eventually Sweetie gets tired of Rarity's bullshit and snaps, telling her she's tired of all this baby shit and fucks off. Then Sweetie solves the client's problem by telling them their puppy is a dog and is tired of the puppy shit. Rarity hears this and realizes she's been a fucking idiot and learns her lesson.
It's alright so 4 EV. 4 VB for the message that kids will outgrow kiddy shit. Unless it's ponies. You never outgrow ponies. 4 DV because we learn a little about Sweetie's past and learn the CMC are pretty much a business now.
EP 7: Parental Glideance
Rating: 5 3 4
Scoots is making Sweetie and Apple Bloom help her slingshot to Cloudsdale which could easily end in her death but she succeeds in making it to the city, landing in a yard. It turns out to be the yard of Rainbow Dash's parents and she flips the fuck out at this revelation. She reveals she's doing a school report on Rainbow Dash and as she's explaining, she waggles around and holy fuck is it cute.
She states how the report is about an influential pony in her life. This reminds me of a thing I once had to do in some bullshit class in school right before I left where we had to fill stuff out about our role models. You know who I put as my role model? Myself.
Turns out, Rainbow Dash's parents are also mega fans of hers. They tour Scoots through their house showing off all their Rainbow Dash memorabilia and Scoots flips the fuck out again upon entering Rainbow Dash's room. Eventually, Scoots asks about Rainbow Dash's Wonderbolts stuff and it turns out they never learned Rainbow Dash became a Wonderbolt so they all go to the Wonderbolts headquarters to see her.
It's adorable how they use their wings to hug Dashie.
Rainbow Dash's parents end up embarrassing her and she gets mad at Scoots, telling her she should've warned her before coming. At a Wonderbolts event, Scootaloo recaps Wonderbolts Academy to Rainbow Dash's parents and states Rainbow Dash proved to be the best against Lightning Dust when in reality, Lightning Dust got kicked out for recklessness and never actually lost anything against Rainbow Dash. After the event at a signing, Dashie's dad rips off part of his shirt and throws it at a foal.
After everything is done, they trespass into the Wonderbolts locker room to cheer for Rainbow Dash where she then loses her shit on them. After her little outburst, they leave and Scootaloo gets sad, saying she doesn't want to do the report on her anymore. Scootaloo clearly doesn't understand just how utterly fucking nonsensical Rainbow Dash's parents were being.
Rainbow Dash trying to explain herself talks about her past experiences with her parents and we see in the flashbacks Rainbow Dash used to be the worst at flying in the competitive circuit and gradually got better until she was the best. Also, fake Derpy again; you can't fool me!
After the story, Scootaloo tells Rainbow Dash how no one ever told her she was the best at anything and wished she had Rainbow Dash's parents. Don't worry, Scoots, you're the bestest little filly there is. Anyone who says otherwise clearly suffers from some kind of mental retardation.
After some sappy shit, Rainbow Dash makes up to her parents or something and Scootaloo gets a B on the report. After her grading, Rainbow Dash and her parents climb through a window to congratulate her.
Very entertaining episode with a few goofy parts worth 5 EV. I don't really agree with Rainbow Dash going back on her anger towards her parents. It's not offensive so I'm not deducting any score but it still only gets 3 VB. Overly supportive people are genuinely really fucking annoying. And I'm pretty sure being overly supportive has been proven to be detrimental to children's development. I have dealt with oversupport myself as a kid. People always jerked me off on how smart I was and would go on about how I would do really good in college and get scholarships only for me to get kicked out of schooling and become a schizoid who cares more about fictional horses than real people. We meet Rainbow Dash's parents so 4 DV.
MLP Commentaries IndexWritten 2025-3-5/6 Published 2025-4-1