MLP:FIM Hard to Say Anything

This episode introduces us to a new writer for the show, Becky Wangberg. It was storyboarded by Cory Toomey (who has been boarding for the show since the 2nd season) and Thalia Tomlinson (who has been barding for the show since the 5th season).

This episode may be nothing spectacular, but not every episode of a show needs to be. This is instead just a nice enjoyable episode. The best thing about this episode is the humor. If Scootaloo got to shine last week than Sweetie Belle gets to shine this week. Her love of fairytales was charming and her line about growing older because it was a long ride there was quite funny. I also love how when she tries to pass it off as she used to love fairytales, she just happens to have the book with her (also in the illustrations why do the princesses not have wings?). Also helping the episode out is Big Mac's song. Again Daniel Ingram can really write a country song and I love whenever a song from this show is in that genre. Even though that ends up leading into a comedy sequence, the song before than is actually quite good. Though I know it is part of the story, I was kind of disappointed when Feather Bangs interrupted it. The relationship between Big Mac and Sugar Belle is fully believable and charming.  My fellow Disney fans should also enjoy a great Beauty and the Beast reference in this episode.

However this episode does have its flaws as well. Feather Bangs, is kind of a bland character and feels like he was made for plot convince. The story also feels like it has been done before, with little new added. However the episode is certainty fun enough to make up for these faults.  

-Michael J. Ruhland   

MLP:FIM Parental Glideance

This episode was the first episode written by Josh Hamilton and was storyboarded by Jae Harm and Kaylea Chard. This is the first episode Jae Harm storyboarded for, and Kaylea Chard has been boarding for the show since season 3.

Ok usual I avoid any spoilers, but there is simply no way to talk about this episode without mentioning this. We meet Rainbow Dash's parents, and get much more confused about Scootaloo's parents. Since I already reveled that simply don't read any of this if you do not want more spoiled, because more spoilers make this episode much easier to talk about.

First off yes it is really cool to see Rainbow Dash's parents, but I am here to talk about the episode itself, and to be honest this episode is............ really good. While the whole being embarrassed by your parents plot has been done so many times in cinema and TV, it usual doesn't feel this real (yeah I know I am calling an episode about a talking Pegasus real). However it is. Image someone you loved achieved their lifelong dream, would you not be attempted to react like they did? I know I would, and if I were Rainbow Dash I would be embarrassed to. The scene where Rainbow Dash yells at her parents and immediately feels terrible afterwards is almost heartbreaking, because these ponies simply feel so unbelievably real.

However what really makes this a great episode is so great is Scootaloo. While she is funny, she is far from comedy relief here. She is not only important to the story because of telling Rainbow's parents that their daughter is a wonderbolt, but she is essentially the heart of the episode. Her pride in Rainbow Dash, her longing to have parents like Rainbow Dash does (does she have neglectful parents, no parents or what? This needs to be explained in a future episode). and the heartbreak she has when Rainbow yells at her parents are so utterly believable and some of the most moving scenes in this show's history.

Wow this is such a great episode. I am excited to see what Josh Hamilton writes for this show in the future, he had a fantastic start here.

-Michael J. Ruhland  

MLP:FIM Forever Filly

This episode was written by Michael P. Fox and Wil Fox. This is the fourth episode written by them as they previously had written The Gift of Maud Pie, Applejack's Day Off, and P.P.O.V.. The episode was storyboarded by Marta Demong and Desirae Salmark. This seems to be the first episode for both of them, though Desirae Salmark has storyboarded on the feature film, My Little Pony Equestra Girls: Legend of the Everfree.

This is a quite enjoyable episode with a good lesson. What makes the episode work is the characters (though this can be said of so many episodes of this show). These characters feel real to us and because of that we believe what is happening to them. We understand Rarity wanting to hold onto the past and we also understand Sweetie wanting to be treated as an adult, without hurting her sister's feelings. Along with this there is also some good humor, such as the photoshoot and the scene before the theme song.

On the downside, while the side story about the dog is enjoyable, it does feel kind of tacked on to drive the lesson further home, and we have seen this story done elsewhere before. There is still more good in this episode than faults and these good points easily overcome the faults.

Overall this is definitely a good episode, even if it isn't one of the show's best.

-Michael J. Ruhland

MLP:FIM Fluttershy Leans In

This marks the second episode of the show to be written by Gillian Berrow (the first was the excellent The One Where Pinkie Pie Knows). The episode is storyboarded by Carrie Mombourquette (who started boarding for the show in season four), and Megan Willis

(who started boarding for the show last season). Dave Wiebe (who has boarded for the show since the first episode) provided some assisted with some of the storyboarding.

This is an excellent episode even if in many ways it differs from the average episode of this show. This is a much more slow paced episode, and there is less humor or action compared with the average episode. However this works to the episodes advantage making it feel more unique in the show's line-up. The whole episode sort of has a relaxed feel that just makes it quite enjoyable. Also really helping this episode is the writing of Fluttershy. I really appreciate that this show allows one of its main characters to grow this way. She has learned from previous episodes to be more assertive, yet through all this there is never a second of this episode where she does not feel like the Fluttershy we know and love.

Overall a great episode.

-Michael J. Ruhland