(Song Used: Bullets - Creed)

A little further now, though these episodes are still very in trouble of being out of the 100 when Season 6 is over. Cause it only takes nearly half of the Season to knock these episodes out. And every season has had it’s fair share of good episodes that’s it’s likely that most of these will also fall out.

Scott Sonneborn seems to be what Merriwether Williams was to Season 2, what he is for Season 4. Because let’s just say his episodes struck a nerve most out of any of the new writers in that season. First you had Somepony To Watching Over Me which got people angry over the execution of the Moral and somewhat an exaggeration on Applejack’s character. Then you have Trade Ya which while isn’t nearly as bad. Some people I think found issue with the fact Rainbow almost traded Fluttershy for a limited edition Daring Do book. To be honest I don’t think Rainbow was really thinking what she was doing at the time just excited to get what she came for, in fact she immediately regrets the decision once she realizes it. But I could definitely understand why people were upset about that (Particularly the FlutterDash shippers I imagine). The other two parts of episode weren’t too special. Applejack and Rarity have their spats, and Pinkie tries to help Twilight in a way she thinks is working but really doesn’t. (But not in a mean-spirited way like in Filli Vanilli, it’s kinda that but done right). I honestly don’t think it’s a bad episode by any means, but it’s slightly filler-esque with not a lot going on. (Considering Season 4 is where continuity as well as season-long arcs became important I think filler is more relevant now) It has a few highlight funny moments here and there, but otherwise is this low for not much interesting going on. It’s not an episode I’d throughly choose to rewatch.

This was the official beginning of the whole Equestria Games arc that started with this episode at the tail end of Season 3 that carried on throughout Season 4. Unfortunately for this arc it turned out to be rather disappointing. And I’m not just saying that because one of the Equestria Games episodes is my pick for the worst episode of the series. There is really only one well-loved episode in the arc, there’s another good one as well but it’s somewhat contested for a few reasons which I’ll get to when I reach that episode later in this countdown. And even that one good one is liked is not for reasons related to the Equestria Games themselves. Overall the arc was pretty much a failure. Leaving this rather ok episode this low because as it turned out hardly anything came out of it. There are some particularly funny moments like when Rainbow hits the window, or when the fake inspector flirts with Shining Armor. Though one thing memorable in a bad way is the rather awkward rushed ending. Harshwinny let’s the Crystal Empire host the games based on the thoughts of another pony when she had a bad time? They try to justify it by having her say that means their unbiased to visitors and everything but ist just comes of as rally awkward. One funny trivia is there is an animation error where at one point Fluttershy has Twilight’s cutie mark. Which is a bit of a funny coincidence since this is the episode prior to Magical Mystery Cure. While of course Twilight’s mark does not get switched. It’s just funny to see that. It could almost be seen as an omen of things to come. Oh I should also mention how in some ways this is technically a part of a Two-Parter though on a different way as Just for Sidekicks is what happens from Spike’s and the pet’s point of view. It’s strange though however that the Spike side of things showed a more enjoyable episode then the one involving the Mane 6. That rarely ever happens. I think back when the episodes were new though I said I wished that Games Ponies Play aired first. I know considering the beginning of Just for Sidekicks it offers a more solid start rather then the Main 6 simply traveling from the very beginning but it would of fun to see the ending of Games Ponies Play where we see Spike and the pets under the chairs and start to wonder next week how in the heck they got there. Don’t know why, I just feel that might of felt like a better way of ordering things.

We could probably list Neal Dusedau as another of the writers who got the most flack out of any writer in their debut seasons. Because you have Princess Spike, and then What About Discord. Which while isn’t as bad and certainly had it’s fun moments courtesy of it being a Discord related episode. Certainly had an awkward watching experience, as we’re supposed to go through what Twilight is going through. DIscord and the others of the Mane 6 making jokes we don’t get because we weren’t there. Which while it is entirely on purpose, makes for a rather odd episode to watch. As aside from visual gags such as Discord as Bob Ross (Which funnily enough coincidentally came only a day or two after Twitch streamed the entire old Bob Ross series) and Pinkie as Marty McFly there wasn’t a lot to laugh about. Unless you’re into awkward episodes, even if you put into account that it was intentional to make us feel what Twilight is feeling. Still comes off as making this episode not very fun to rewatch. And it’s concerning when you have an episode with Discord involved that you don’t want to rewatch. That’s a screw up no matter what you were trying to do. This is pretty much the lowest Discord episode as even the mixed response towards Keep Calm and Flutter On is much higher on the list in comparison to this one and from there all other Discord episodes are at least in the Top 50. So this is indeed rather a bummer for a Discord episode for sure.

Really on this episode all I can really say is thank god it didn’t turn out like The Great Divide from A:TLA. At the same time though this is a plot done so many times, that it’s hard to do anything too new with it. I mean at the very least Fluttershy and Twilight didn’t go as far as take a side and fight amongst themselves. Though the moment you see Twilight have this list of Friendship Problem solutions you had to see Twilight not having any of the solutions on the list and Fluttershy save the day be the most likely ending. And sure enough it did, though it did require a bit of Twilight using her freeze spell we’ve seen since Castle-Mania in Season 4. One amusing thing about the two families is their color, which easily could remind people of Team Fortress 2. I believe the backstory for the game is even about a family feud of some kind. Though I think in TF2’s case it was within the family between two brothers as opposed to two different families. I should also mention this is one of the three map episodes which was basically Season 5’s own version of the Key episodes from Season 4. Only this time around it feels less connected because not only are there half the episode count compared to the Key episodes, but aside from the Map being crucial to both episodes hardly connects at all with either the Opener or the Finale. In fact it’s kinda amusing there’s not even those random Starlight cameos like there are in Amending Fences and What About Discord. You’d think the Map episodes would have Starlight hidden somewhere as to point towards what’s coming. Only What About Discord kinda did not only with the Cameo but at a scene going on at the time they mention Time Travel which of course becomes important in the Finale. I’ll just say that if you compare how the Map episodes to how overall the Key episodes did in Season 4 it’s a massive letdown even though the idea was cool to have duo’s star in each of them. Twilight & Fluttershy had not been really done since arguably A Bird in a Hoof, back in Season 1. So it’s nice to have an episode they interact almost the entire time. Too bad it was in a rather average episode.

This episode is basically our big clue on what the CMC would get as their main talents that we see in Crusaders of the Lost Mark. They are able to help other ponies understand or even get their cutie marks. And this might be where CMC episodes lead from time to time in the future. One thing people may have found odd about the episode is the unfortunate implications of a pony getting a Cutie Mark that they misinterpret. Which could easily lead to some really dark stories. Some may find this a problem because it may have been thought that a Cutie Mark should appear when you have really found your destiny. That might be somewhat eyebrow raising to misinterpret your own destiny but considering that in Magical Mystery Cure you could clearly see the Mane 6 weren’t happy with their swapped destinies, you can’t say it didn’t have some precedent. Still, you gotta feel so bad for Trouble Shoes for having a predicament like that. It’s definitely an episode where the more you think about it, you’re either intrigued about this idea that Ponies can interpret their Cutie Mark wrong or horrified by the very prospect. Which if you fall into the latter category, this episode becomes a hard episode to re-watch real fast. That said I feel there are enjoyable moments such as Sweetie’s lines and/or parts of the episode she has. “Worst. Idea. Ever.” as well as Sweetie showing genuine progress on use of Magic. Looks like hanging around with Twilight has paid off. Possibly a follow-up on Twilight Time from Season 4? Would be pretty cool if so.