In due course I'll be resuming the "My Little Repeats" rewatch series, and next in line is Season 4 of Friendship is Magic. This is a season I've been excited to get to, since it has some interesting qualities. For a start, it's the first season of Princess Twilight – but it's also the last season of her living like anypony else in the heart of Ponyville. Accessible as she tries to remain, things are never quite the same again once she moves into Buyourtoys Castle at the end of the season.
S4 marks the start of a couple of years of considerable change in the show, and there's one new name who will be extremely influential in seasons to come. That name is, of course, Josh Haber. Less controversially, we'll also see the return of Amy Keating Rogers to writing duties (though M. A. Larson is absent this time). There's also another very popular return when Derpy is fully rehabilitated into the show, though the excitement that one brought at the time will probably not be so intense this time around!
On the downside, S4 does have its fair share of unimpressive episodes, and from time to time we even see some downright annoying characterisation. (I'm looking at you, Scott Sonneborn.) There's also some retconning going on this season, and the days of consistency there are starting to become a thing of the past – though not so much as they would later become. Finally, there's that finale. Will it still hold up after all these years? That's what I aim to find out!
Looking forward to it. Given what my thoughts were on Season Three, Season Four is practically miraculous. At least, it felt like a return to form.
ReplyDeleteIt reassured me on a couple of fronts: Twilight is still Twilight with added modesty and uncertainty, Discord is an entertainingly dubious newcomer, and like old times the episodes give all the main characters (even Spike!) at least a couple of good to great moments to shine. I attribute its "back to the well" tone and style to Jayson Thiessen returning to the director's chair, since he originally oversaw Season One.
Part of the weakness is more the newly designed ongoing arcs, for me, but even there I applaud the attempt at trying something different, after three seasons of no major arcs in particular. Give credit to how they actually mesh with the slice-of-life format, too. And while I thought it was a bit weaksauce in some respects, I suppose I could give them leeway for a first major attempt.
So yeah, I foresee good times ahead. I mean, "Flight to the Finish" is only a few episodes away! Ah, but I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me just grab the popcorn, and we can begin! n.n
I am likewise eager to get to "Flight to the Finish", especially as I feel I slightly undervalued it the first time around.
DeleteAs I haven't rewatched this one still (I'll be trying to do so to keep pace with this season of My Little Repeats), not a whole lot I can say right now. There are definitely weak efforts in this season - there's a lot of strain during the two-parters, helped not at all by it not even trying to disguise that events often happen because Buy Our Toys, for a start. And I still remain disgusted by the harebrained idea to make Daring Do real, which is just a bad concept. Reforming Discord and making Twilight a Princess still had potential, so I can forgive the ideas there. And there are several poor episodes and a few meh ones, though I won't say which yet, as my take could change when we reach them. I do feel half the Key episodes are kind of eh, I'm sure you can guess which ones.
ReplyDeleteBut, Season 4 is still plain and simple the only Alicorn Twilight season that still captured the pros of FiM's first two seasons, and is up or close to their overall quality. As Impossible Numbers mentioned, having Jayson Thiessen back in the director's chair was a great help there. And while new writers were starting to come into play, they had Meghan McCarthy to guide them - even Josh Haber was able to avoid his later tics with her help! Once the staff switched to using cheat sheets later in the show's run… shudder. But, I'm getting ahead of myself. And we had enough pros around, many of whom were better then they ever were - Amy Keating Rogers had largely squeezed out some bad tendencies of her from the early seasons by this point, for instance.
Don't have much else to say - let's get to it! I too am really looking forward to "Flight to the Finish", as I consider it to be very nearly "Sleepless in Ponyville" quality, and I don't see that being challenged here. And there really are a lot of gems here worth revisiting. If only the rest of the series stayed that way. We'll tackle that when we get there, of course.
I do feel half the Key episodes are kind of eh
DeleteMyself, I would put two in that category. Of the other four, three are among my absolute favourites and one is quite fun. so not too bad a return.
If you asked me right now, I would place several episodes ahead of "Flight to the Finish" -- but I'm absolutely certain it will end the rewatch well up in my estimation. :)