Episode of the Week

Week of April 27, 2014
New episode: Inspiration Manifestation (Season 4, Episode 23)



Rarity goes mad with power after she learns a spell that gives her imagination physical form.

My rating: 4/5
This makes four of the Mane 6 that have lost their sanity at some point in the series.

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Spotlight episode: Applebuck Season (Season 1, Episode 4)



An exhausted Applejack is determined to harvest all of Sweet Apple Acres on her own.

My rating: 4/5
Exhausted Applejack reminds me of myself when I don't get enough sleep.

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There's only two more weeks left in Season 4, and as such, I'd like to present...

THE BEST OF SEASON 4

BEST MOMENTS
Twilight's first official acts as Princess!
We learn that Daring Do is real!
Rarity Takes Manehattan!
Pinkie may or may not be related to Applejack!
Weird Al Yankovic guest-stars!
Fluttershy's beautiful singing voice!
Twilight Time!
We meet Pinkie's sister, Maud!
Luna visits Sweetie Belle's dreams!
Rainbow Dash is taking steps toward becoming a Wonderbolt!

Five mysteriously shiny objects!



As the season winds down, I suggest you go back and re-watch each episode in preparation for "Equestria Games" this Saturday, and "Twilight's Kingdom" next Saturday! Until then, keep smiling!

Week of May 4, 2014
New episode: Equestria Games (Season 4, Episode 24)



Spike is given the task of lighting the torch at the Equestria Games, but he gets stage fright. Meanwhile, the Ponyville & Cloudsdale teams compete for first place.

My rating: 5/5
After over a year of buildup... It's here! And Spike gets to be awesome again!

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Spotlight episode: The Last Roundup (Season 2, Episode 14)



Applejack leaves Ponyville suddenly after the Equestria Rodeo contest.

My rating: 5/5
That ending is perfect. That's all I can say.

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It's almost here! This Saturday, the finale of Season 4 will be aired. Below is the official summary. If you don't want to see it, don't click the spoiler tag!

Season 4 Finale: Twilight's Kingdom:

 

Princess Twilight Sparkle continues to struggle with her identity as a princess and her role as the newest member of Equestrian royalty. When Princess Celestia has a premonition about a mysterious evil foe from the past and turns to an unlikely source for help, Twilight Sparkle feels extra pressure to prove her worth.

In hopes that it will provide some insight as to the kind of princess she is meant to be, Twilight Sparkle focuses her attention on opening the chest that was given to her by the Tree of Harmony. Secrets are revealed and mysteries are unraveled as all of Equestria joins forces to stop this new threat.

I just couldn't wait until tomorrow to post this. This was hands-down the best episode of Season 4.

May 10, 2014
New episode: Twilight's Kingdom (Season 4, Episodes 25 and 26)



Part 1: When a villain from Equestria's history returns to drain all magic from the world, it's up to the princesses to stop him.

Part 2: Celestia, Luna, and Cadance make a great sacrifice to ensure the safety of Twilight and all of Equestria.

My rating: 5/5
There are no words to describe how perfect this was. This may have replaced A Canterlot Wedding as my favorite episode.

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Now that the finale is over... How will these events affect Season 5?

Predictions (spoilers for the episode):

 

Well, firstly, we now know that the Mane 6 can access the powers of the Elements by using the box. Perhaps they'll utilize this power again in the future.

Secondly, the old Golden Oaks Library we know and love is gone. In its place, we have Twilight's castle. While I'm going to miss the old treehouse, I'm excited to see what the new castle holds. Maybe it has a giant library, far more extensive than Golden Oaks had? (And no, I'm not going to change the forum's logo. Golden Oaks may be gone, but it will live on forever in our hearts [and in reruns ])

Thirdly, we now know that (at least) Alicorns can transfer their magic to another. I predict that Twilight may transfer her power to another at some point.

Finally, the Mane 6 have become a council of sorts. Maybe we'll see some royal duties that the Mane 6 get involved in.

Aside from predictions related to the episode, I predict all of the following:

Trixie will return again
We'll see more of Applejack's family
We finally see Rainbow Dash/Fluttershy's parents (wishful thinking on my part, but hey, it could happen)
Apple Bloom is visited by Luna (the other Crusaders have been)
Another great evil will threaten Equestria (as is tradition with the premiere/finale of each season)
Backstory with Celestia/Luna/Cadance
Dash training to be a Wonderbolt
Fluttershy overcoming her stage fright and becoming one of the Ponytones
Rarity's career expanding to other cities

Other than that, I hope for more of the same amazing content that Hasbro has been providing since 2010. Unfortunately, we won't know anything for sure until next year.



BUT! Don't be sad! We have some other awesome things to look forward to. For example...


Equestria Girls 2: Rainbow Rocks!!

Plus, it's been confirmed that there will be a side series entitled Equestria Academy. It premieres in Paris this November, but there's still no release date for North American viewers.

As a side note, episode spotlights will return to one every week. However, once I've spotlighted every episode, I will be going back and spotlighting them all again. Plus, Season 4 episodes are now in the spotlight rotation, so we shouldn't run out of episodes before Season 5 starts (unless it starts late 2015...)

I'll see you tomorrow for the first post-S4 spotlight. Until then, take care, and remember...

The magic of friendship doesn't just exist in Equestria, it's everywhere. You can seek it out. Or you can forever be alone. The choice is yours.
-Twilight Sparkle, Equestria Girls

That's a lot of text, Axle. How long did it take you to type all of that and format it?

Shadewing wrote:

That's a lot of text, Axle. How long did it take you to type all of that and format it?

30-40 minutes. I work hard on these spotlights. A normal one (before Season 4) took about 10 minutes to type up. Once I switched to two episodes, it took 15-20 minutes to type up the post. I have high standards for production value, in case you couldn't tell.  

Axle Gear wrote:

I have high standards for production value, in case you couldn't tell.

Oh, I could tell. That's why I look forward to every new spotlight. You're the only one I know of who does everything so thoroughly.

Shadewing wrote:

I look forward to every new spotlight.

You have no idea how much that means to me. I'm glad that people see and appreciate my work.

The finale was one of the episodes that caused not only a emotional response, but a physiological response.

I'm not going to lie. I cried a lot. That finale was just beautiful.

As a result of the finale, the name of the forum has to change.

Sine Radian wrote:

As a result of the finale, the name of the forum has to change.

As I explained in my predictions, the forum will remain as it is, unless I decide to change it to a different locale altogether (which may or may not be happening soon... )

Week of May 11, 2014
Spotlight episode: A Dog and Pony Show (Season 1, Episode 19)



On a hunt for gems, Rarity is kidnapped by Diamond Dogs and forced to dig for them.

My rating: 4/5
Whining Rarity = Comedy Gold

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In order to build some hype for Rainbow Rocks, I'd like to also spotlight the Equestria Girls shorts. Enjoy!

Music To My Ears (Feat. DJ PON-3)




Guitar Centered (Feat. Rainbow Dash)




Hamstocalypse Now (Feat. Fluttershy)




Pinkie on the One (Feat. Pinkie Pie [duh])




Player Piano (Feat. Rarity)




I don't know about you, but I'm hyped for the movie. I just hope there's a theater near me that will be playing it. Until next time, remember...

While friendship is about giving of ourselves to friends, it's also about accepting what our friends have to offer.
~Twilight Sparkle, Applebuck Season

Ah! I forgot to post a spotlight last Sunday! I'm so sorry!   
I know it's really late, but here it is.

Week of May 18, 2014
Spotlight episode: The Mysterious Mare Do-Well [Season 2, Episode 8]



Rainbow Dash's position as the town hero is challenged by a mysterious masked pony.

My rating: 5/5
I love the idea of a masked hero with no real superpowers rescuing people. Maybe that's why I like Batman so much...

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I'd like to take this moment to draw attention to the absolutely subarashii Japanese dub of the show, My Little Pony: Tomodachi wa Mahou. They may only have seasons 1 and 2 dubbed as of now, but the voicing is great and very accurate. Here's the Japanese dub of the above spotlight episode, with English subtitles.

Tomodachi wa Mahou S2E08 - Enter the Mysterious Masked Pony!

I'm really getting bad at remembering to post spotlights. Sorry again, everyone. I'll try to remember next time.

Week of May 25, 2014
Spotlight episode: Suited for Success (Season 1, Episode 14)



Rarity offers to make her friends dresses for the Gala, but she is quickly overwhelmed by the workload.

My rating: 4/5
Drama queen Rarity = hilarious

I swear, I have the memory of a goldfish. I always forget to post the spotlights. Here it is, and I promise it won't happen again.

Week of June 1, 2014
Spotlight episode: Boast Busters (Season 1, Episode 6)



A boastful stage magician named Trixie appears in Ponyville and tells fabricated stories to show off. Despite urges from her friends, Twilight refuses to upstage Trixie, because she doesn't want to be seen as a show-off as well.

My rating: 5/5
The GREAT and POWERFUL TRIXIE demands a 5 star rating!  

I'll see you tomorrow with the next spotlight (if I remember). Until next time...

Waiting for what your heart desires can be really hard. So, you may try to take a shortcut. But this dishonesty never works, because you didn't earn what your heart desired. The only cure is being honest with yourself, and others. And that's something every heart desires.
~Apple Bloom, The Cutie Pox

Hey! For once, I actually remembered to post the spotlight! Go, me!   

Week of June 8, 2014
Spotlight episode: Magic Duel (Season 3, Episode 5)



Trixie returns to get revenge on Twilight using the power of a cursed artifact known as the Alicorn Amulet.

My rating: 5/5
When a semi-villain turns really evil, you know something serious is going down.

Hopefully, I'll remember again next week. Until then...

Sometimes, to feel good about yourself, you gotta let go of the past. That way, when the time comes to let your greatness fly, you'll be able to light up the whole sky.
~Spike, Equestria Games

Two weeks in a row! I'm on a roll!

Week of June 15, 2014
Spotlight episode: A Bird in the Hoof (Season 1, Episode 22)



Fluttershy kidnaps Princess Celestia's sick pet bird, Philomena, and tries to make her healthy.

My rating: 4.5/5
This was a real character-establishing episode. It shows what lengths Fluttershy will go to to help somepony, or in this case, some bird, in need.

Plus, Celestia's antics are a must-see.

Until next week...

It's great to have fun, but it's even greater to have great friends. And having lots of friends means that you sometimes have to make choices as to who you'll spend your time with. But that's okay, because good friends will always give you lots of opportunities to have fun. So even if you're missing out, it's never for long.
~Pinkie Pie, Too Many Pinkie Pies

Well, so much for remembering the spotlights.   

Week of June 22, 2014
Spotlight episode: Luna Eclipsed (Season 2, Episode 4)



Princess Luna visits Ponyville during the Nightmare Night celebration, but has trouble learning modern customs after her 1,000-year banishment.

My rating: 5/5
Luna is awesome. Even the Celestia supporters have to agree with that.

I'll try to keep track of what day it is next time. Until then...

Oh, I can't deny it. I love to win! But if I ever have to choose between winning and my friends, I'm always gonna choose my friends. 'Cause as much as I love winning, I love them waaaaay more.
~Rainbow Dash, Rainbow Falls

Week of June 29, 2014
Spotlight episode: The Cutie Pox (Season 2, Episode 6)



Frustrated with her inability to get her cutie mark, Apple Bloom turns to Zecora for help.

My rating: 4/5

Probably the best lesson out of all of season 2. Plus, Apple Bloom bein' adorable.

Until next week...

One of the best things you can do with friendship is to give it to others, and help them find it themselves. [And] even though somepony may seem a little intimidating, even scary, when you offer them your friendship, you'll discover a whole new pony underneath.
~Twilight Sparkle, Luna Eclipsed

Week of July 6, 2014
Spotlight episode: Swarm of the Century (Season 1, Episode 10)



Princess Celestia is coming to visit Ponyville, but an infestation of Parasprites threatens to ruin Twilight's careful planning.

My rating: 5/5

It's worth mentioning, the Japanese dub of this episode, "Munch Munch Panic!", is great as well.



Until next time...

Bein' honest sure gets hard when it seems like the truth might hurt somepony you care about. But I think believin' a lie can end up hurtin' them even more. Maybe some ponies don't care about that – but I sure ain't one of them.
~Applejack, Leap of Faith

Week of July 13, 2014
Spotlight episode: Stare Master (Season 1, Episode 17)



Fluttershy agrees to host the Cutie Mark Crusaders' sleepover, but soon realizes that she may have taken on too great a challenge.

My rating: 4/5
It's like I always say: Beware the quiet ones.

Until next week...

Being a good friend means being able to keep a secret, but you should never be afraid to share your true feelings with a good friend.
~Twilight Sparkle, Green Isn't Your Color

Jeez. I can't believe I forgot three weeks in a row. I might as well rename this topic "Whenever-I-Remember Episode Spotlights". Sorry, everyone. To make up for it...

Week of August 10, 2014
Spotlight episodes: Mare in the Moon & Elements of Harmony (Season 1, Episodes 1 & 2)



Reclusive bookworm unicorn Twilight Sparkle receives a mission from her mentor, Princess Celestia: make some friends! However, she is caught up in the escape and subsequent rampage of the thousand-year-old evil, Nightmare Moon. It is up to Twilight and her new friends to stop Nightmare Moon and bring peace back to Equestria.

My rating: 5/5
This is it. This is where it all started. I don't think any of us knew what a wonderful world we were entering when that book opened for the first time.