MLP:FIM Viva Las Pegas

This is the second episode written by the team of Chris Wyatt and Kevin Burke. They had previously written the episode of The Times They Are a Changeling. While this episode might not as good as that first one, it is still a good episode. This episode was storyboarded by Megan Willis (who started storyboarding earlier this season) and Jeffery Amey.

The animation is really good. Impressively the crowds are extremely well animated (if anyone working on the show happens to read this I am very impressed by this and you should be proud of your work here). The characters are just as likable as ever. Fluttershy and the animals were adorable. Applejack's mistrust of the Flim-Flam brothers as well as both her and Fluttershy's uncomfortableness in Los Pegas are quite well handled. Gladmane was a fun villain, and use of Elvis as a basis for this character was fantastic.

Despite this episode having a lot going for it, it does feel like the show playing it too safe. The story feels like it has been done before on this show, and sometimes better. At times it feels like another map episode, and follows the guidelines of those episodes maybe a bit too closely. However watching much of the rest of this season, we know the show is not falling into this trap, and the episode is quite good in spite of this. Because even when this show plays it too safe, there is quite a bit to recommend as there is here.

-Michael J. Ruhland

MLP:FIM The Fault in Our Cutie Marks

This episode is the fourth was written by Ed Valentine his previous episodes have been Flight to the Finish, Threes a Crowd,  and The Cart Before the Ponies. It was based off a story by Megan McCarthy (who has been writing for the show since season 1) and Josh Harbor (who started writing for the show in season 4).  The storyboard artists for this episode were Karine Charlebois (who started storyboarding earlier this season) and Nicole Wang (who has been storyboarding for the show since season 1).

This episode introduces a great new character, a griffon named Gabby. She was voiced by Erin Mathews and designed by Kora Kosicka, Charmine Veragen and Fernanda Ribeiro. She is really a fantastic character and helps make this episode a great one. She is a funny character, and she also is extremely likable. The fact that we already care about this new character we haven't seen before is really telling why this episode is a fantastic one.

Beyond just Gabby, this episode is a great showcase for the Cutie Mark Crusaders. This is done both through the story and many great little touches. Scootaloo's looking at her wings when talking about believing in something impossible is one of the most heartfelt moments this show ever had and it made me tear up a little bit. I also love how we see little by little how much Sweetie Belle has been getting better at magic without ever calling attention to it. Even beyond this the episode has a great story and great animation.

Overall this is an excellent episode and one of the best this season (probably second best to Saddle Row and Rec).

-Michael J. Ruhland

MLP:FIM Buckball Season

This is the first episode to be written by Jennifer Skelly and it's a darn good start. This episode was storyboarded by Mincheul Park (who has been boarding for the show since last season) and Cat Tang.

This episode is quite a fun episode. What really makes this episode work is how well written both Pinkie and Fluttershy are. Both are as likable as ever. While this episode shows them doing something different (playing sports so well is of course something we more associate with Rainbow Dash or Applejack), they stay the same Pinkie and Flutters that we have loved since the beginning of the show. This is one of my favorite things about this show no matter what the story needs characters to do they still stay the same great characters. Also a lesser show would have made Rainbow Dash and Applejack unlikable in this episode, but they remain very likable. They just want to help Pinkie and Flutters but don't think it through very well.

This episode features some great humor as well. The facial expressions are extremely funny here, especially from Pinkie and Flutters. Also while Snails is usually far from my favorite characters, he is actually very funny here.

-Michael J. Ruhland

MLP:FIM Dungeons and Discords

This is the fifth episode written by Nick Confalone (who started writing for the show last season. Nick Confalone is quickly becoming a writer whose episodes I look forward too especially since he wrote Saddle Row Review, my personal favorite episode of this season so far. He doesn't let me down here.

Storyboarding this episode is Kat Dela Cruz (who started storyboard for the show earlier this season) and Michelle Ku (who also started storyboarding earlier this season). Since this was a Dungeons and Dragons episode naturally the visuals were important. Adding to this are great background designs by Laura Bifano. The great character cards were designed by Charmaine Verhagen. More designs were done by Matt Herring. All these people did an excellent job as the episode looked fantastic.

Adding to this the episode has a great sense of humor. Like Pinkie Pie episodes Discord episodes have some great cartoony animation (something that isn't I enough modern cartoons). Adding to this are fantastically funny facial expressions from Fluttershy, some of the best given to this character yet. Writing wise most of Discord's dialogue is very funny, and there is also a really funny reference to The Mask.

The story itself feels like it has been done before on this show, but the rest of the episode is so well done that you can easily get over this fault.

-Michael J. Ruhland

MLP:FIM The Times They Are a Changeling

This episode introduces us to two new writers. Kevin Burke and Chris Wyatt. They co-wrote this episode with Michael Vogal, who also started writing for the show this season. This episode was storyboarded by Ward Jenkins (who began boarding for the show earlier this season) and Hanna Lee (who has been storyboarding for the show since season 2).

This episode was fantastic. The story wasn't that original, yet it was done so well I didn't care. I enjoyed every moment of it. This is probably my favorite episode centering around Spike and with good reason. The characters were extremely likeable (including the new character), the animation great, the writing fantastic, the song number very good, and most of all this was just a joy to watch. Really everything about this episode was excellent, and I can't wait for what these new writers will write for the show next. Also this is the first time we have seen Starlight since we came back for the mid-season break, and it is so good to see her again. I love that character.

-Michael J. Ruhland

Mlp:FIM 28 Pranks Later

This episode marked the first written by F.M. DeMarco. DeMarco wrote the episode based off a story idea of one of the shows earliest writers Megan McCarthy(whose first episode was the 7th episode of the show).  It was storyboarded by Cory Toomey (who has been storyboarded since season 2) and Dave Wiebe.

This episode was maybe a bit too predictable, and not the most original of the show, but it still manages to be quite good. I can't wait to see DeMarco write a Pinkie Pie episode, because Pinkie Pie steals the episode. She is funny, relatable, and just very fun to watch. This is everything Pinkie should be. It is obvious that this new writer gets Pinkie's character very well. Also while Rainbow is supposed to be obnoxious in this episode, she never gets on the audiences nerves, or becomes too unlikable. Besides Pinkie what really works about this episode is the climax. This climax has a great atmosphere and even a little scary. The lighting in this scene is especially great. This scene works quite good even if it is very predictable. Overall this is a predictable and unoriginal episode but is still pulled off quite well despite this and is fun to watch.

-Michael J. Ruhland

MLP:FIM The Cart Before the Ponies

It is good to have another Cutie Mark Crusaders episode to write about, there has been to few of them lately. This episode was written by Ed Valentine and Michael Vogal. Ed Valentine started writing for the show last season with another Cutie Mark Crusaders episode. Michael Vogal started writing for the show this season, but has work on the development and production crew since the second season.

This episode is a lot of fun. The humor is fantastic (especially a brief appearance of young Derpy), the animation is great (director Jim Miller stated on twitter that it was very hard to animate the soap box derby carts), the story is nice, the lesson is quite good (and new for this show), and the characters are just as likable as ever. The designs of the carts are excellent and a joy to look at (further proof Scootaloo =Chicken).

Even when they aren't always seeing eye to eye, the relationship between Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo is very heartwarming. I love how the other ponies accept Rainbow Dash as practically Scootaloo's older sister. I now look forward to just seeing these two together.

-Michael J. Ruhland