Most and Least Rewatchable: Season Four

I'm still waiting for it, Pinkie...

Back to a full 26-episode season this time, which makes things both easier and more difficult. I enjoyed S4 on the whole, despite its very variably written Pinkie. Some very good episodes didn't make my top three – although some of the season's low points were pretty darn low. I doubt there'll be a huge amount of controversy over my winning choice this week (I resisted the immense temptation to put "Bats!" at number one), but there may be a little more when it comes to the episodes I rate as my least rewatched, especially from fans of a certain pony...!

The most rewatchable episodes of S4

3. Filli Vanilli
I am completely and utterly biased here, but that's the point of having my own blog. I was never a big fan of Flutterguy in "Bridle Gossip" (her song excepted), but somehow it's more satisfying second time around. There are some lovely touches in this one: Applejack's unamused look at Goldie Delicious, the firefly lights on the set, Cheerilee's obvious in-joke with Big Mac, etc. But not only does Fluttershy get a real (if short) solo song, but the reprise sees her being even more adorable than usual. I may go and watch this again right now. Yes, I have a few issues with Amy Keating Rogers' portrayal of Pinkie here, but not enough to derail my enjoyment of the ep.

2. Maud Pie
Maud is a somewhat divisive figure in the fandom, and even I don't love all her appearances ("The Gift of the Maud Pie" for one). But in her debut episode, she's absolutely brilliant the whole way through, especially in her dialogue. Her rock poetry is my favourite, but "It doesn't talk. It's a dress" and "I threw it" are right up there. Some may say that it would have been a stronger ep had the Mane Six not ended up being friends with Maud – well, that's as it may be, but I'm not sure it would have been right for Pony. The first of Noelle Benvenuti's two episodes, and by far the more rewatchable.

1. Pinkie Pride
This is pretty much the perfect Pinkie episode. Amy Keating Rogers gets everything right, and the songs all work superbly. The opener, "Pinkie the Party Planner", is bizarrely underrated, perhaps because it doesn't involve Weird Al, but it's still lovely. We also get to see, in "Pinkie's Lament", a version of sad!Pinkie that (hooray) isn't just straight-mane Pinkamena. Talking of Weird Al, though, he's wonderful; this show has excellent taste in special guests, and he does a fantastic job. "Pinkie Pride" is an episode I can't really imagine any fan of Friendship is Magic disliking. It's tremendous.

The least rewatchable episodes of S4

3. Leap of Faith
Easily the least interesting of the "key" episodes, this is decidedly not Josh Haber's finest hour. There's nothing wrong with bringing back the Flim Flam Brothers, as we saw very recently with "Viva Las Pegasus", but the episode just doesn't grip me. One problem is the song, which is pretty forgettable and nowhere near as fun as their debut cider-based extravaganza. It's a shame Applejack got lumbered with this, since an ep about her overcoming a challenge to her honesty could have been fascinating. The one we got... isn't.

2. Inspiration Manifestation
Sorry, Corey Powell and Meghan McCarthy! This is another episode that I had to go back and watch again just to remember anything about it beyond the absolute basics. Once again Spike gets a raw deal (at least he did better in "Equestria Games", which followed) and my attention wandered several times even when I was trying to keep myself focused on what I was seeing. Every season has its filler episodes, but this is one of the least interesting of S4's.

1. Somepony to Watch Over Me
A combination of Slice of Life and Adventure in the same story (*cough* Fimfiction *cough*), Scott Sonneborn's episode doesn't gel. I actually quite like the final act, with Apple Bloom intrepidly setting off into the wilds and having to deal with the chimera. It's what comes before it that's the problem, in particular the story's portrayal of a ridiculously overprotective Applejack. She hasn't behaved like this before or since, and that plus the sheer repetitiveness of it all equals a first 15 minutes that's a trial to sit through.