My Little Repeats 202: "The Beginning of the End, part 2"

Real artists' "bad" drawings are always much too good!

S9E02: "The Beginning of the End, part 2"

6 April 2019

My original rating: ★★★★ (for both parts)

IMDb score: 8.7

The one with extreme forestry

Thoughts: The IMDb scores for this are quite something. Yes, I know they're not exactly reliable, but they're not nothing either. Plenty of people genuinely loved this episode, and I really liked it at the time. Rainbow is upset by the idea of Spike and Starlight being under Sombra's spell, but omits a certain other orange character beginning with S. Starswirl (hay, another one!) produces lore about Everfree out of nowhere; handy. Discord turns up from nowhere – well, maybe – and throws himself in front of Fluttershy as Sombra fires at her. At the time it was quite an affecting moment when it appeared Discord had no magic, though it didn't make much sense even before he admitted the truth that he'd lose to a straightforward OP unicorn. Sombra just standing around while Discord monologues is a bit eye-rolling too. The final Legion of Doom scene is quite fun, but again lessened by what we now know about Grogar. This one's also being bumped down to a three, but a lesser three than the first part.

Choice quote: Rarity: "Show me the muddy!"

New rating: ★★★

Next up will be "Uprooted", which I found underwhelming in 2019 despite its Student Six focus. It scraped a three. Will it maintain that in 2026? Only one way to find out...

My Little Repeats 201: "The Beginning of the End, part 1"

"It was North Star, you fools, not Gusty!"

S9E01: "The Beginning of the End, part 1"

6 April 2019

My original rating: ★★★★ (for both parts)

IMDb score: 8.6

The one with Protectors of Equestria!

Thoughts: And we're back! As, indeed are the Lady Writers, in a very welcome reprise. Celestia and Luna spring their retirement on the Manes. Rainbow rather bluntly reminds Twilight that the Princesses "almost never help". The Legion of Doom takes shape, though knowing now that Grogar is, well, not Grogar can't help but be disappointing. (His eyebrows may be the giveaway...) Sombra conquering the Crystal Empire is dark stuff, though. I loved seeing the Elements of Harmony again, and glad they got to have one last Rainbow of Light before being destroyed. I can't help but bump this down to a high three now I know Grogar was a fake-out, but it was still a solid start to the show's final season.

Choice quote: Twilight: "Twilighting? You... you made me a verb?"

New rating: ★★★

Next up, shockingly enough, will be "The Beginning of the End, part 2". I hope that news doesn't disappoint you too much. :P

My Little Repeats 156: "The Perfect Pear"

Candles on hay bales don't strike me as especially safe...

S7E13: "The Perfect Pear"

5 Aug 2017 (in USA; 21 Jun 2017 in Australia)

My original rating: ★★★★
IMDb score: 9.5

The one with Tube station pony

Thoughts: Well, here we go. A sizeable chunk of the fandom applies the "Best Episode Ever" tag to this, and on this occasion its IMDb score probably doesn't lie. I'm not going to be all perverse and say I hate it, as no: I also think it's a very fine ep. Having it air six weeks earlier in Australia than the US made it very hard to avoid spoilers, and many (including me) viewed and reviewed earlier than August. It can be hard to recall now, but at this point the idea of finding out about the Apple parents was a huge deal, given there'd been speculation about them for years and years. The expectation was a lot to live up to – but it managed. A lovely story with organic progression, thoughtful and sympathetic characterisation, excellent world-building, a nice guest turn from William Shatner of all people, that very fine song (with a reprise in the end credits!) and some really appealing visuals. But the writing made it great, something you couldn't always take for granted by S7. Yeah, okay fandom, you win. This episode can have a five now.

Choice quote: Goldie Delicious: "Now that's how you make an entrance... or is it an exit?"

New rating: ★★★★★

Next time, it'll be "Fame and Misfortune", an episode some people loved and others hated. I was in the former camp, finding it much more funny than cringy. That may or may not change. As ever, we shall see!

My Little Repeats 153: "A Royal Problem"

"Doesn't Starlight get her own evil mirror?"

S7E10: "A Royal Problem"

10 Jun 2017

My original rating: ★★★★★
IMDb score: 9.1

The one with Luna biting the pineapple

Thoughts: A hugely popular episode, not with everyone but certainly with the majority of fans. The S6 finale notwithstanding, this may have been the point at which most finally made their peace with reformed Starlight being a major cast member. She was sympathetically written and did a good job of helping Celestia and Luna settle their differences, all the more so with Twilight in (perhaps slightly excessive) neurotic mode. I am definitely a fan of Daybreaker as a villain, too: a great design and worth waiting for. That mirror scene with Luna was legitimately creepy. Some funny moments, such as Luna's frown – though having it cost a field trip stretched belief slightly. Celestia sounding surprised at how easy it was to raise the Moon was also odd, considering she did it for a thousand years! Not quite a perfect episode, and in truth on the four/five boundary. But I still loved rewatching it, so I'm going to be perhaps slightly kind and let it keep its five. Undoubtedly one of my very favourites from the later part of the series.

Choice quote: Starlight: "Gee, thanks for believing in me, Twilight."

New rating: ★★★★★

Next up is "Not Asking for Trouble", which felt like a bit of a comedown at the time! It was the final episode before S7's two-month mid-season hiatus, and it didn't really impress the fandom, or indeed me. I'm not that optimistic it will suddenly leap up in my affections, but we'll see.

My Little Repeats 145: "All Bottled Up"

"Trixie, did you even read the 'No food or drink' sign?"

S7E02: "All Bottled Up"

15 Apr 2017

My original rating: ★★★
IMDb score: 7.7

The one with teacup poodle

Thoughts: Broadcast on the same day as "Celestial Advice", both episodes had mixed receptions from the fandom. "All Bottled Up" managed the rare feat of being seriously criticised by the usually sunny reviewer MLEEP, but I was (and remain) a little more positive. Starlight and Trixie are usually fun together, and so it proves this time. Okay, parts of their story are a bit contrived (especially Starlight's "storm cloud" thing) but at least we got – for a while, at least – canon support for teleportation being hard. The secondary plot with the Mane Six doing the escape room was filler, but it was quite entertaining filler. I like the song more than I initially did, too. Bulk "I wear many hats" Biceps appealed more than sometimes. Nice dialogue, though Trixie is maybe a tad too obnoxious even for her at times. It's a few niggles away from being a really good episode, but it's entertaining and I'm happy for it to keep the solid three-star rating I originally gave it.

Choice quote: Trixie: "Teach away, mini-Twilight."

New rating: ★★★

Next up, a Flurry Heart episode. Be still my beating heart. Okay, I'll be fair: "A Flurry of Emotions" doesn't really stick in my mind for bad reasons, though nor does it for great ones. I remember having rather mixed views on it.

My Little Repeats 144: "Celestial Advice"

I wonder whether any fan made use of that globe's design

S7E01: "Celestial Advice"

15 Apr 2017

My original rating: ★★★
IMDb score: 7.8

The one with the Pink Hearts of Courage

Thoughts: It's been way too long, hasn't it? Friendship is Magic returns! Well, sort of. Season Seven, uniquely, did not begin with a two-parter, so this first episode stands alone. This first part of S7 had the "Lady Writers" team of Joanna Lewis and Kristine Songco overseeing things, and this opener was also written by them. It's quite good fun, though not without its irritations. It's one of the first episodes to give Celestia plenty of screen time, Spike gets a bit of attention – and a fun touch of snark – and the bookending Pinkie moments are fun. Discord is a tad irritating, but then he's very much trying to be in-story, and in any case Twilight is (still) just too easy to tip into (fairly mild, here) freakout mode. Pacing isn't particularly great, though: the episode starts a bit too slowly and ends a bit too quickly, while the bit where Twilight ponders futures for Starlight goes on rather too long. A shame, as Glimmy's undecided future could have packed quite an emotional punch. I mean, the ep is quite pleasant and quite fun. Doesn't really feel like a season-opener, though. It can keep its three, I guess.

Choice quote: Celestia: "There is no wrong way to fantasise."

New rating: ★★★

Next up, broadcast on the same day even though a separate episode, was "All Bottled Up". I don't remember much about that one beyond Trixie being in it.

My Little Repeats 141: "Top Bolt"

All this and a well judged flashback scene too!

S6E24: "Top Bolt"

10 Oct 2016 (Tiny Pop; 15 Oct on Discovery Family)

My original rating: ★★★★
IMDb score: 8.2

The one with Stratusburg's best sneeze

Thoughts: The end of S6 had a strange release schedule thanks to Tiny Pop here in the UK showing episodes 25, 26 and 24 (in that order) before Discovery Family had shown any of them. Tiny Pop missed out E23 entirely for cider reasons,¹ so "Top Bolt" was in fact the season finale over here! As for the episode, I really liked it in 2016 and I still really like it now. Satisfying characterisation, a nice pacey plot, plenty of action, a fine score, great dialogue, amusing jokes... you name it, really. Rainbow Dash and Twilight team up well to solve the friendship problem, with Dash's Wonderbolts perspective and Twi's classroom expertise giving a nice contrast. Sky Stinger and Vapor Trail are really solid as the very different best friends, too. Angel Wings, the Make-a-Wish Foundation-arranged OC, is a cute one-off character. We even get a montage! The episode's plot is not an especially startling storyline, but Lewis and Songco wrote it very efficiently. "Top Bolt" is just an all-round really enjoyable watch, whether at the end of the season or not. Still a four-starrer for me, and with considerable ease.
¹ It amuses me greatly that this series allows me to write that!

Choice quote: Rainbow Dash: "You can call us T-Sparkz and the Dashinator!"

New rating: ★★★★

Next time, it's "To Where and Back Again, part 1". The S6 finale was a fairly divisive episode, with some people absolutely hating it. I was not among those people.

My Little Repeats E4: Legend of Everfree

Dock around the clock

Legend of Everfree

Written by Kristine Songco and Joanna Lewis
24 Sep 2016 (Discovery Kids Latin America) / 1 Oct 2016 (Netflix)

My original rating: ★★★
IMDb score: 6.4

The one with Pinkie's marshmallow pillow

Thoughts: Another writing change for this movie, with Kristine Songco and Joanna Lewis taking over from Josh Haber. The only one of the four EqG feature films not to receive a cinema release in the UK, so I watched it when it eventually made its way to the Pop channel over here. I still feel it's a relatively weak instalment when compared to Rainbow Rocks or even Friendship Games. The music in Legend of Everfree is generally good (I love "Hope Shines Eternal" at the end), Sunset gets a pretty good part and even Flash Sentry gets some decent material to work with, while the different setting makes it visually appealing. The plot itself is okay if not brilliant, and at least the geodes made a comeback in the specials – even if Sunset's ability is a bit on the creepy side when you think about it. On the downside, I'm still iffy about a camp counsellor like Timber getting romantically involved with a student, Filthy Rich is pretty one-dimensional in his few appearances and Gloriosa/Gaea¹ isn't exactly the greatest villain MLP has ever had. This is... well, maybe "bland" is overdoing it, but it doesn't really stick in my mind. Still a three, but a weak three and I'm not absolutely confident it's even that any more for me. Probably Sunset and the songs tip it over the line, but only just.
¹ I still don't know why she's not "Gaia", but she isn't

Choice quote: Spike: "I think you're just gonna have to pick it up."

New rating: ★★★

Next time, back on the FiM beat, it's the lumberingly titled "P.P.O.V. (Pony Point of View)". Originally I felt this was a fun episode with a feeble ending. We'll see how it goes in 2023.

My Little Repeats 122: "Gauntlet of Fire"

Walls have ears, rocks have eyes

S6E05: "Gauntlet of Fire"

16 Apr 2016

My original rating: ★★★★
IMDb score: 8.0

The one with talking seaweed

Thoughts: For a long time, "Spike episode" wasn't something fans said with much enthusiasm. Okay, the likes of "Dragon Quest" had their fans, but they weren't that numerous. This was the episode that changed that. The received wisdom is that it was the first really good Spike-isode. For the most part, I agree with that. For a start, it teams Rarity with Twilight. They were together (with Rainbow) in "Dragon Quest", but they haven't been a common partnership since. We of course meet Ember for the first time, and her constant changes from cheerful and friendly to grumpy and, well, dragonish are amusing. (I know some people use the word "tsundere" here, but I'm not an anime guy, so I won't.) Dragon Lord Torch, voiced with a fun Aussie accent by the apparently almost unknown Matt Cowlrick, does well in support. I still don't like Garble, but I find his nastiness less boring here than in "Dragon Quest", at least. The actual adventure part of the episode is generally great, even if we never do find out how the ponies got through that cave. Add in a whole load of world-building (some of which was actually used again) and Spike's decision at the end to give up the Bloodstone Sceptre to Ember, and this is an ep I'd happily watch again for fun. I thought quite hard about whether it was still deserving of a four. Maybe not by much, but I really do think it is.

Choice quote: Ember: "Please don't make me talk about my feelings."

New rating: ★★★★

Next time, it'll be "No Second Prances", which doesn't have an unmixed reputation but which it turns out I really rather liked on first appearance. So we shall see!

My Little Repeats 114: "The Hooffields and the McColts"

FiM Flutters realises she can copy Pony Life Flutters' size-changing spell...

S5E23: "The Hooffields and the McColts"

14 Nov 2015

My original rating: ★★★
IMDb score: 7.1

The one with mice living in a pumpkin in old Amsterdam

Thoughts: It's not "What About Discord?" That's one plus to start with. On the downside, the real-life Hatfield–McCoy feud is not that well known on this side of the Atlantic, so its resonances don't necessarily hit. What results is an okay episode with some nice touches, and happily a well-written Fluttershy. Her best scenes are with critters, such as a lovely moment involving a tortoise (not Tank). It's a shame that 'Shy very much takes second place in her team-up with Twilight – she's almost a "with" rather than a "co-starring" in the episode. The hillbilly ponies do what hillbillies do in basically every hillbilly story ever. That might actually work better over here, as they're less overplayed in the UK than I suspect they are in the US. Back to FiM: the guest characters are reasonable, if not especially memorable (even Big Daddy McColt) and the various vegetable-based attacks are mildly amusing. The resolution at least makes some use of Twilight's alicorn-level magic, ending on a suitably Pony note of friendship and reconciliation. I gave this three stars last time, but I can't quite justify that now. So it's bumped down to two, but it's a top-end two. Not a memorable episode – I'm having to look things up already – but it passes the time. And, as I said, it's not "What About Discord?"

Choice quote: Fluttershy: "I'm Fluttershy and, um, I'm here too."

New rating: ★★

Next up is "The Mane Attraction", which in 2015 I liked with a few reservations. I suspect I'll feel similarly now, though perhaps with some different emphases.

My Little Repeats 106: "Rarity Investigates!"

This episode has some of the best lighting effects in the whole series

S5E15: "Rarity Investigates!"

12 Sep 2015

My original rating: ★★★★
IMDb score: 8.5

The one with chocolate cherry cake with custard filling and buttercream frosting rosettes

Thoughts: This episode is such a lot of fun. The thing most people remember is the film noir-style black-and-white sections, which are wonderfully done with exactly the right musical accompaniment. (I like the closing credits music, too. They even refrained from adding the DHX and Hasbro jingles at the end!) Rarity makes a great Shadow Spade, even when she's commenting on décor. It's a really atmospheric ep all round, laced with humour but not so much that it overwhelms the mystery. Well, I say "mystery" but really there isn't much: it's obvious from the word go that Wind Rider is the culprit. A shame too that the Wonderbolts jump to conclusions so fast about Rainbow Dash's guilt, and that only some of the clues are spottable by the viewer first time around. Oh well, at least the way the story flows (and it does) allows Dash and Rarity to have some excellent, sparky scenes together. I wish the series had given them more interactions of this quality later in the series, but hay ho. Despite my little niggles, this is a polished and – fittingly for a Rarity-heavy story – immensely stylish episode which shows S5 at its best. Not quite a five-star episode, but still worthy of a pretty high four, and that's nothing to sneeze at.

Choice quote: Rarity: "That's the polite but disingenuous laugh you make when you want to seem happy but really you're not."

New rating: ★★★★

Next up is "Made in Manehattan", an episode about which I can remember almost nothing. This is not a good sign for an Applejack'n'Rarity ep, but maybe it will improve in the rewatching. Maybe.

econd after Sassy's "Everypony loves royalty!"

S5E14: "Canterlot Boutique"

12 Sep 2015

My original rating: ★★★
IMDb score: 7.9

The one with strawberry cinnamon cilantro cupcakes

Thoughts: After the first of FiM's irritating mid-season hiatuses, we did at least have the stalwart Amy Keating Rogers in the writing saddle for the show's return. It's a good episode, too, albeit perhaps the least of the run from "Amending Fences" to "Rarity Investigates!" We see Rarity in her fashion designing mode more centrally than since "Suited for Success", and personally I prefer Canterlot as the big target for her than Manehattan as happened later in the series. Sassy Saddles (voiced by Kelly Sheridan, incidentally) is a decent sidekick, albeit not one with enough sass to be truly memorable. A hint of a troubled past career ("another failed boutique"?) but she was neither unpleasant enough to be a "love to hate" pony or sympathetic enough for the redemption to really click. I still don't like the very last joke, which is a bit too close to "let's make fun of the weird-looking pony" for comfort, though it wasn't AKR's fault. A couple of the other shop customers were fun, though, especially the gothy Moonlight Raven. One small criticism of Rarity: the customer who complained her Princess Dress wasn't what she ordered was correct, yet she was portrayed almost as the bad guy for saying so. Still, overall the episode's core plot of "creative job made into a chore" was fine and appropriate. It was executed pretty well, there's a nice song by Jona Lewie and even though it's not an outstandingly memorable episode it is good. I think it's perfectly worthy of a very solid three. No change to this ep's star rating!

Choice quote: Rarity to Twilight: "In every poll Sassy Saddles took, you were the most popular princess!"

New rating: ★★★

Next up is another Rarity-centric episode, "Rarity Investigates!" – it's widely seen as an excellent ep. Certainly in 2015 I agreed with that consensus. I hope I shall have at least as much fun with it this time around!

My Little Repeats 94: "Castle Sweet Castle"

Spike casually chucking the doll away a moment later, though...

S5E03: "Castle Sweet Castle"
11 Apr 2015

My original rating: ★★★★
IMDb score: 8.0

The one with confetti cannons

Thoughts: The first episode credited to Joanna Lewis and Kristina Songco, aka the "Lady Writers", and they made a solid start. All the Mane Six and Spike get substantial parts here, and indeed Spike enjoys one of his best roles, one which is crucial in his spa-centric distracting of Twilight. His relationship with Twilight is the reason it works, too. The song is one that's grown on me (even though I never disliked it) and I also like how Fluttershy is starting to stand up for herself just a little more. Of course, the big deal at the time was that this episode confronted the loss of the Golden Oak Library (never named in-show until this point) and, looking back, I think it did so largely successfully. Most fans felt much as Twilight did about the castle at this point, and even if many never really loved it, this was probably where most stopped hating it. As I said in 2015, this felt in some ways like a return to the simpler early seasons of FiM, without any Big Bads or frenetic adventures – but respectful of the fact that these characters had developed since S1. Apart from brief turns by Aloe and Bulk, every line here is spoken by one of the Mane Seven. I'd been expecting to nudge my four-star rating from 2015 down to a top-end three... and I have. On the plus side, the characterisation is satisfying. On the minus side, the middle act is a bit draggy. Top-end three is still above average, though!

Choice quote: Rainbow Dash: "Touché."

New rating: ★★★

Next up is "Bloom and Gloom", an episode which I confess hasn't stuck in my mind much. Except for the Twittermites. Brr. But we'll see how it goes.

Episode review: S9E01/02: "The Beginning of the End"

A thrilling image – one that has surprisingly little to do with the main plot

After all the build-up, Friendship is Magic Season 9 is go! With a little tinge of sadness this time around, as "The Beginning of the End" was a pretty spot-on title. This is the last time we will ever see a season premiere for FiM, though (unless something very odd happens) not for My Little Pony as a whole. It was written by the Lady Writers, Joanna Lewis and Kristine Songco, making their first writing appearance since "The Perfect Pear". That was encouraging for many of us. After the break, we'll see whether that confidence was well founded.

One minor tweak to the review format this season: I've stolen one of Present Perfect's ideas and added my nominations for the best and worst moments of the episode. You'll find those near the end, just after the continuing "Best quote" section, though that's now been rechristened "Best line". Right, then – off we go!

Episode review: S7E13: "The Perfect Pear"

Back in March, I reviewed EbonQuill's Slouching Towards Canterlot for Ponyfic Roundup 150. I enjoyed it a good deal and awarded it four stars. Unfortunately, Pascoite points out in a comment on that PR that it isn't as original as I'd imagined. Disappointing. Hopefully less disappointing is my getting up to date with episode reviews!

Finding a non-spoilery picture for this episode was not easy

It's taken a ridiculous amount of time, but here at last is my review of the halfway point of Season 7. It's another fairly short one, because otherwise you'll still be waiting when S8 begins. This was written by Joanna Lewis and Kristine Songco, and the Lady Writers are usually good value with their episodes. This was a much-anticipated ep, and for anyone who hasn't yet seen it: what's beyond the break will be really, really spoilery. If that's not a problem to you, follow me!

Episode review: S7E10: "A Royal Problem"

New headcanon: Equestria has pancakes instead of emoji

The synopsis for this one looked pretty intriguing: a Royal Sisters episode at last, but one with added Starlight. Since I'm in the "quite likes Glimmy" camp, this didn't put me off, but I was still a little anxious about whether the writers could make it work. In this case, said writers were Joanna Lewis and Kristine Songco themselves, which boded reasonably well. Past the break for my take!

Episode review: S7E02: "All Bottled Up"

Yesterday marked the fifth anniversary of my Fimfiction account, and I got a rather pleasant surprise to mark the date. More on that in a couple of days, but my priority for now is getting last weekend's episode reviewing finished.

Starlight doesn't half go through manestyles :P

It really doesn't seem like a week since my last episode review post, does it? ;) Anyway, Season Seven's episode two is not just a continuation of episode one, although it does share the same writers and some of the same central characters. As with the previous review, this one will be fairly short, though that's partly because I'm short of time before the next ep appears! Not that my reviews are generally vastly detailed anyway, of course. Past the break for the low-down.

Episode review: S7E01: "Celestial Advice"

"You think this makes it more likely I'll get a real episode? Oh, Twilight..."

And we are go with My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Season Seven! Okay, okay, I know we were go some time ago, but I can't help it if I've been on holiday. Never mind nuclear confrontations in Korea or snap general elections in the UK, this is the big one. Since for the first time the two episodes weren't (entirely) two parts of the same story, you'll get two shortish reviews: the first today and the second tomorrow. Text Review Roundup will be squashed in at the weekend if I can find the time! Having Lewis and Songco on the case was a promising sign, but come past the break for the actual review of the S7 premiere.

Film review: Legend of Everfree

"The script! How are we going to sound natural now?"

Sadly, the fourth Equestria Girls movie has not been given a cinema release in the UK, so I can't repeat my big-screen viewings from the first three films. Nevertheless, Pop has now shown it over here, and with that official showing having come about I think it's time for a review. (Screenshots are from the HD Brazilian airing, though.) I don't mind EqG, but so far only one instalment – Rainbow Rocks – has really risen above the "well, that wasn't bad" level to become a personal favourite. Past the break, let's see whether LoE could do it.

Episode review: S6E24: "Top Bolt"

The wind did indeed change that day

Thanks to Tiny Pop, this was actually the last episode of Season Six that I got to see. That being so, I was hoping that it would be a good one. I was encouraged by the identity of the writers: Joanna Lewis and Kristine Songco have a solid record, with only one of their four previous episodes ("The Hooffields and McColts") failing to get a four-star rating here. I was also hoping this would live up to the last Rainbow/Twilight episode, the excellent "Testing Testing 1, 2, 3" from S4. Come with me past the break to see what I thought.

Episode review: S6E05: "Gauntlet of Fire"

"And stop calling me Ember-lism!"

When it was announced that episode 5 would be a Spike one, I wasn't alone in being a little apprehensive. Spike-isodes don't have the best track record, and even when the writing team was announced as Joanna Lewis and Kristine Songco (who gave us the excellent "Rarity Investigates!" in S5) that worry wasn't dispelled entirely. Still, I sat down with a snack (salt & vinegar crisps) and a nice cold drink (bitter lemon) and gave it a shot. More after the break.