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Description
[Inhales and exhales.]

I'm gonna say it straight to you guys... this is probably the worst season of the show. Or more accurately, the weakest one.

While I did have my problems with Season 5, the strenghts of it were enough to keep me invested on what's to come next. This season on the other hand just feels like it's kinda... there. The plots aren't as exciting as the previous seasons, there are hints of weaker comedy, and whenever the season had bad episodes, they were REALLY bad. And there isn't much to really get excited about this season. The Cutie Mark Crusaders already have their Cutie Marks, Twilight doesn't have many personal challenges, even Rainbow Dash becoming a Wonderbolt, her greatest dream since Season 1, felt surprisingly low-key and not as special as it should've.

The worst flaw this season, however, is Starlight Glimmer. The main story arc this season is, supposedly, seeing how much Starlight grows as a person, and seeing her overcome her villainous side. The problem with that is that it doesn't really do a good job at it. Not only was she out of focus for most of the season, but the episodes that do focus on her range from kinda average to what I can describe as cartoon catastrophes. If anything, these episodes highlight how overpowered she is, and how rushed her redemption was.

I mean, there are some positive things that stand out, like the map episodes are still pretty good in my eyes, Spike had two enjoyable episodes (three, if you wanna count Dungeons and Discords), and the little arc with the Changelings was pretty interesting in my eyes, it's not enough to save what I consider an underwhelming way to continue the series.

The Cutie Re-Mark only made me weary for the series, but it was this season that made me lose interest for it.

But with that out of the way, let's move on to both the shining moments of the season, and what I consider to be the worst worst list so far.

Bottom 5

5. The Cart Before The Ponies - You know what needs to die? The Adults are Useless trope. Why? Because we often get episodes like this as a result. While it does have an important and mature moral about how grown ups aren't always right about everything, it tries to teach it by essentially making Applejack, Rarity and Rainbow Dash into the most despicable thingsin existence. Rainbow Dash forces Scootaloo to make the fastest cart evne if it turns out unstable, and Rarity takes all the credit for Sweetie Belle's cart. But the worst one of the three has to be Applejack, who seems to question how much Apple Bloom cares for her family simply because she doesn't want to make the most traditional cart. While the racing aspect of the episode could be fun, it's muddled down by how unlikeable the adults are. Let this be a lesson for you all. If you're gonna teach a moral, make the moral fit the characters, not make the characters fit the moral.

4. Where the Apple Lies - Here's another trope I'm not particularly fond of. The Liar Revealed. Mainly because most stories that use it don't even attempt to give it a spin. And this episode is no exception to that. Applejack is the element of Honesty, but she's also not incapable of telling lies every once in a while. And there is nothing wrong with that, since it makes her a three-dimesnional character. But this episode seems to paint her as not only being a pathological liar when she was a teen, but also makes her look incredibly stupid. The epsiode is predictable once Applejack lies about Granny Smith, it's boring, it raises a lot of questions about the Apple Family, and it teaches a toxic moral that even in the episode itself seems like a bad idea. It tries to say that Big Mac should listen to Applejack, but all of Applejack's ideas not only ended up wasting everybody's times, but almost cost her brother a leg. While it is saved a little by how the whole thing is a flashback, it's still not enough to salvage such a big waste of time. And please. If you see a loved one digging themselves deeper in something, SAY SOMETHING.

3. 28 Pranks Later - Riddle me this. What do you get from combining Griffon The Brush Off and The Mysterious Mare Do Well? The answer: this trainwreck. Rainbow Dash is at her most unlikeable in this episode, pranking everyone and everything, no matter how sensitive they are, or how cruel the prank is. The zombie plot's ojutcome is way too obvious to be entertaining, and instead it becomes rather boring to watch. And it tries to teach the wrong moral. Instead of going for the whole "you need to learn what everypony finds funny" crap, this episode's setting was screaming for it to teach the much better lesson of "treat others the way you'd like to be treated". Instead it turns out as a mess that has barely any funny humor in it, and where nopony comes out as likeable... except maybe Pinkie Pie.

2. No Second Prances - Now, this is a pretty interesting occasion. Instead of one Atrocity page this season, I did two. For two episodes that tell me that the decision of redeeming Starlight Glimmer was a bad one. Instead of working hard to forgive herself, Starlight is already demanding other ponies to accept her as a good guy now, something she didn't earn back then and she certainly hasn't earned at that point. Trixie seems to have gone right to square one, trying to one up Twilight once again, despite that she left on good terms with her in Magic Duel. And as for Twilight, thsi episode not only shows that she's a pretty lackluster teacher to Starlight, not only being a massive hypocrite, but also forgetting her own lessons. Not to mention the implication that Trixie was willing to put herself in danger just to prove Starlight she cares about her, which is a terrible way to say sorry to anyone. Honestly, this could have easily been my number one choice for the worst episdoe thsi season... but no... oh nonononononono... there is one episode that is even worse than that...

1. Every Little Thing She Does - ...honestly, I don't really wanna talk about this one. This is probably the MLP episode I had most difficulty watching. Why? Mainly because it showcases why Starlight is my least favorite character in the show, and why she doesn't work as a good guy. She's extremely overpowered, to the point she makes characters like Twilight and even Princess Celestia look unnimpressive in comparison, despite the former studying magic for years and Celestia being able to raise the sun. Her character is so inconsistent that it almost feels like her villain-self and hero-self are two different ponies, and make up stupid crap like her being afraid to bake despite having done so in The Cutie Re-Mark and No Second Prances. She didn't really learn anything from her past as a villain. Yes, she's no longer trying to brainwash ponies, but she's still jumping the gun and doing morally questionable stuff, like brainwashing your own friends. And she never gets comeuppance for her actions. She might get called out for her mistakes, but she mostly gets a slap on the wrist compared to characters like Discord or Sunset Shimmer who've gone through hell to earn their redemptions. Besides some boring and often disturbing moments, this episode is just a reminder that Starlight is perhaps the show's biggest weakness, and an insult to what made this show great in the first place. Honestly, I have no problem calling this the worst episode of Season 6. And by extension, the worst of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. I just hope there's no other episode that tops it...

Top 5

5. Hearth's Warming Tail - As someone who always enjoys to watch A Christmas Carol told in different ways, this was honestly a treat to watch. The Christmas atmosphere in this episode is far more present than in its predecessor, it gives an interesting spin to the story by giving it a little bit of How The Grinch Stole Christmas, and the songs help set the mood for each of the scenes they are featured in. The best ones easily being Say Goodbye to the Holiday and Luna's Future. But songs like Hearth's Warming Eve is Here Once Again, Seeds of the Past and Pinkie's Present don't stay behind either, each of them being enjoyable in their own right. And of course, Luna's role as the Ghost of Christmas Yet-to-Com fits perfectly. While I don't think Starlight was selfish for not wanting to celebrate, or that Rainbow Dash was a good choice to play Bob Cratchit, but this was still an enjoyable episode. One that would be better watching it on Christmas proper.

4. The Saddle Row Review - Now here's a different kind of episode. Rather than one constant narrative, this episode is told through interviews instead, and it makes for one of the funniest episodes in the series. The interviews work as an ineresting framing device, and every member of the Mane 6 gets a memorable moment in this episode. Rarity's "NO SPOILERS!", Twilight's sweep song, Applejack and Rainbow singing the sweep song, even when they claim they don't like it (en fin, la hipocresia), Pinkie's conversation with the angel and devil Raritys, and Fluttershy's attempts at talking wth the Raccoons. We also get some memorable characters like the outside-the-box thinker Plaid Stripes, and the J. Jonah Jameson pony. Dfeinitely one episode you should check out for a good laugh... but seriously, is someone gonna do something about the Pinkie clone?

3. The Fault on Our Cutie Marks - Gabby is a precious cinnamon roll that needs to be protected! She's a very likeable character. She's cheerful, extremely nice, and has the determination to keep trying to get her Cutie Mark even if it seems impossible for a griffon to get one. The CMC are all very likeable as well, particularly Scootaloo, who are just as determined as Gabby is to find her true calling in life, but never losing sight of reality and being open about the difficulty of thsi task. The song is catchy and shows the contrast between the positivity of Gabby and the struggle of the CMC. And most interesting of all, the episode doesn't really give a specific answer to wheter or not non-ponies can get Cutie Marks. It leaves it open for interpretation, and it has some big fanfic potential. It's honestly one of the better Cutie Mark Crusaders episodes out there.

2. Stranger Than Fan Fiction - To those who want to give their fans a good jab and still come off as respectful to them, here's this episode. Patton Oswalt was the perfect casting for Quibble Pants. His snark is hilariousas well as accurate, he uses adventure stories' cliches in his favor without realizing it, and even when he realizes the adventure is real, he's still giving his quips. Rainbow Dash is adorable when she fangirls at the convention, and the convention itself a shows the fun of conventions in general, as well as giving some references to the Brony fandom. While I do find it strange that a guy who lives in a fantasy world would think some action scenes are unrealistic, it still really enjoyable. Especailly with the message that even if you don't agree on everything about a piece of media, that's no reason to prevent people from becoming friends. This is honestly an episode made for fans who love a good ribbing every once in a while. But even with that... there can be only one winner in this top...

1. Gauntlet of Fire - By far the best Spike episode in the whole show. And quite possibly one of the best in the series. Spike is at his absolute best here. Showing some of his best qualities: his dedication and loyalty to his friends, protecting them from the dragons, his compassion for others, even to his most fierce enemy, his great teamwork with Princess Ember, his humbleness, and even how willing he is to sacrifice everything he has in order to save those he cares about. Princess Ember is an interesting character that shows not all dragons are brutes without redeeming qualities. The world-building is much better handled than in epsidoes like Dragon Quest, the Gauntlet of Fire is intense and engaging, Twilight and Rarity's moments were hilarious, and Garble getting constantly beaten up and humiliated brghtens up my day. Actually, one of my watchers, , basically describes this as Spike's "key" episode, where he gets to pass down his own personal wisdom to a new friend. And honestly, it's hard for me to argue with that. In a season as weak as thsi one, it's nice to see that there are still some shining moments. And this is one that shines the brightest of them all.

And that's it for Season 6. Hopefully, Season 7 proves to be an improvement over this...

Description
[Inhales and exhales.]

I'm gonna say it straight to you guys... this is probably the worst season of the show. Or more accurately, the weakest one.

While I did have my problems with Season 5, the strenghts of it were enough to keep me invested on what's to come next. This season on the other hand just feels like it's kinda... there. The plots aren't as exciting as the previous seasons, there are hints of weaker comedy, and whenever the season had bad episodes, they were REALLY bad. And there isn't much to really get excited about this season. The Cutie Mark Crusaders already have their Cutie Marks, Twilight doesn't have many personal challenges, even Rainbow Dash becoming a Wonderbolt, her greatest dream since Season 1, felt surprisingly low-key and not as special as it should've.

The worst flaw this season, however, is Starlight Glimmer. The main story arc this season is, supposedly, seeing how much Starlight grows as a person, and seeing her overcome her villainous side. The problem with that is that it doesn't really do a good job at it. Not only was she out of focus for most of the season, but the episodes that do focus on her range from kinda average to what I can describe as cartoon catastrophes. If anything, these episodes highlight how overpowered she is, and how rushed her redemption was.

I mean, there are some positive things that stand out, like the map episodes are still pretty good in my eyes, Spike had two enjoyable episodes (three, if you wanna count Dungeons and Discords), and the little arc with the Changelings was pretty interesting in my eyes, it's not enough to save what I consider an underwhelming way to continue the series.

The Cutie Re-Mark only made me weary for the series, but it was this season that made me lose interest for it.

But with that out of the way, let's move on to both the shining moments of the season, and what I consider to be the worst worst list so far.

Bottom 5

5. The Cart Before The Ponies - You know what needs to die? The Adults are Useless trope. Why? Because we often get episodes like this as a result. While it does have an important and mature moral about how grown ups aren't always right about everything, it tries to teach it by essentially making Applejack, Rarity and Rainbow Dash into the most despicable thingsin existence. Rainbow Dash forces Scootaloo to make the fastest cart evne if it turns out unstable, and Rarity takes all the credit for Sweetie Belle's cart. But the worst one of the three has to be Applejack, who seems to question how much Apple Bloom cares for her family simply because she doesn't want to make the most traditional cart. While the racing aspect of the episode could be fun, it's muddled down by how unlikeable the adults are. Let this be a lesson for you all. If you're gonna teach a moral, make the moral fit the characters, not make the characters fit the moral.

4. Where the Apple Lies - Here's another trope I'm not particularly fond of. The Liar Revealed. Mainly because most stories that use it don't even attempt to give it a spin. And this episode is no exception to that. Applejack is the element of Honesty, but she's also not incapable of telling lies every once in a while. And there is nothing wrong with that, since it makes her a three-dimesnional character. But this episode seems to paint her as not only being a pathological liar when she was a teen, but also makes her look incredibly stupid. The epsiode is predictable once Applejack lies about Granny Smith, it's boring, it raises a lot of questions about the Apple Family, and it teaches a toxic moral that even in the episode itself seems like a bad idea. It tries to say that Big Mac should listen to Applejack, but all of Applejack's ideas not only ended up wasting everybody's times, but almost cost her brother a leg. While it is saved a little by how the whole thing is a flashback, it's still not enough to salvage such a big waste of time. And please. If you see a loved one digging themselves deeper in something, SAY SOMETHING.

3. 28 Pranks Later - Riddle me this. What do you get from combining Griffon The Brush Off and The Mysterious Mare Do Well? The answer: this trainwreck. Rainbow Dash is at her most unlikeable in this episode, pranking everyone and everything, no matter how sensitive they are, or how cruel the prank is. The zombie plot's ojutcome is way too obvious to be entertaining, and instead it becomes rather boring to watch. And it tries to teach the wrong moral. Instead of going for the whole "you need to learn what everypony finds funny" crap, this episode's setting was screaming for it to teach the much better lesson of "treat others the way you'd like to be treated". Instead it turns out as a mess that has barely any funny humor in it, and where nopony comes out as likeable... except maybe Pinkie Pie.

2. No Second Prances - Now, this is a pretty interesting occasion. Instead of one Atrocity page this season, I did two. For two episodes that tell me that the decision of redeeming Starlight Glimmer was a bad one. Instead of working hard to forgive herself, Starlight is already demanding other ponies to accept her as a good guy now, something she didn't earn back then and she certainly hasn't earned at that point. Trixie seems to have gone right to square one, trying to one up Twilight once again, despite that she left on good terms with her in Magic Duel. And as for Twilight, thsi episode not only shows that she's a pretty lackluster teacher to Starlight, not only being a massive hypocrite, but also forgetting her own lessons. Not to mention the implication that Trixie was willing to put herself in danger just to prove Starlight she cares about her, which is a terrible way to say sorry to anyone. Honestly, this could have easily been my number one choice for the worst episdoe thsi season... but no... oh nonononononono... there is one episode that is even worse than that...

1. Every Little Thing She Does - ...honestly, I don't really wanna talk about this one. This is probably the MLP episode I had most difficulty watching. Why? Mainly because it showcases why Starlight is my least favorite character in the show, and why she doesn't work as a good guy. She's extremely overpowered, to the point she makes characters like Twilight and even Princess Celestia look unnimpressive in comparison, despite the former studying magic for years and Celestia being able to raise the sun. Her character is so inconsistent that it almost feels like her villain-self and hero-self are two different ponies, and make up stupid crap like her being afraid to bake despite having done so in The Cutie Re-Mark and No Second Prances. She didn't really learn anything from her past as a villain. Yes, she's no longer trying to brainwash ponies, but she's still jumping the gun and doing morally questionable stuff, like brainwashing your own friends. And she never gets comeuppance for her actions. She might get called out for her mistakes, but she mostly gets a slap on the wrist compared to characters like Discord or Sunset Shimmer who've gone through hell to earn their redemptions. Besides some boring and often disturbing moments, this episode is just a reminder that Starlight is perhaps the show's biggest weakness, and an insult to what made this show great in the first place. Honestly, I have no problem calling this the worst episode of Season 6. And by extension, the worst of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. I just hope there's no other episode that tops it...

Top 5

5. Hearth's Warming Tail - As someone who always enjoys to watch A Christmas Carol told in different ways, this was honestly a treat to watch. The Christmas atmosphere in this episode is far more present than in its predecessor, it gives an interesting spin to the story by giving it a little bit of How The Grinch Stole Christmas, and the songs help set the mood for each of the scenes they are featured in. The best ones easily being Say Goodbye to the Holiday and Luna's Future. But songs like Hearth's Warming Eve is Here Once Again, Seeds of the Past and Pinkie's Present don't stay behind either, each of them being enjoyable in their own right. And of course, Luna's role as the Ghost of Christmas Yet-to-Com fits perfectly. While I don't think Starlight was selfish for not wanting to celebrate, or that Rainbow Dash was a good choice to play Bob Cratchit, but this was still an enjoyable episode. One that would be better watching it on Christmas proper.

4. The Saddle Row Review - Now here's a different kind of episode. Rather than one constant narrative, this episode is told through interviews instead, and it makes for one of the funniest episodes in the series. The interviews work as an ineresting framing device, and every member of the Mane 6 gets a memorable moment in this episode. Rarity's "NO SPOILERS!", Twilight's sweep song, Applejack and Rainbow singing the sweep song, even when they claim they don't like it (en fin, la hipocresia), Pinkie's conversation with the angel and devil Raritys, and Fluttershy's attempts at talking wth the Raccoons. We also get some memorable characters like the outside-the-box thinker Plaid Stripes, and the J. Jonah Jameson pony. Dfeinitely one episode you should check out for a good laugh... but seriously, is someone gonna do something about the Pinkie clone?

3. The Fault on Our Cutie Marks - Gabby is a precious cinnamon roll that needs to be protected! She's a very likeable character. She's cheerful, extremely nice, and has the determination to keep trying to get her Cutie Mark even if it seems impossible for a griffon to get one. The CMC are all very likeable as well, particularly Scootaloo, who are just as determined as Gabby is to find her true calling in life, but never losing sight of reality and being open about the difficulty of thsi task. The song is catchy and shows the contrast between the positivity of Gabby and the struggle of the CMC. And most interesting of all, the episode doesn't really give a specific answer to wheter or not non-ponies can get Cutie Marks. It leaves it open for interpretation, and it has some big fanfic potential. It's honestly one of the better Cutie Mark Crusaders episodes out there.

2. Stranger Than Fan Fiction - To those who want to give their fans a good jab and still come off as respectful to them, here's this episode. Patton Oswalt was the perfect casting for Quibble Pants. His snark is hilariousas well as accurate, he uses adventure stories' cliches in his favor without realizing it, and even when he realizes the adventure is real, he's still giving his quips. Rainbow Dash is adorable when she fangirls at the convention, and the convention itself a shows the fun of conventions in general, as well as giving some references to the Brony fandom. While I do find it strange that a guy who lives in a fantasy world would think some action scenes are unrealistic, it still really enjoyable. Especailly with the message that even if you don't agree on everything about a piece of media, that's no reason to prevent people from becoming friends. This is honestly an episode made for fans who love a good ribbing every once in a while. But even with that... there can be only one winner in this top...

1. Gauntlet of Fire - By far the best Spike episode in the whole show. And quite possibly one of the best in the series. Spike is at his absolute best here. Showing some of his best qualities: his dedication and loyalty to his friends, protecting them from the dragons, his compassion for others, even to his most fierce enemy, his great teamwork with Princess Ember, his humbleness, and even how willing he is to sacrifice everything he has in order to save those he cares about. Princess Ember is an interesting character that shows not all dragons are brutes without redeeming qualities. The world-building is much better handled than in epsidoes like Dragon Quest, the Gauntlet of Fire is intense and engaging, Twilight and Rarity's moments were hilarious, and Garble getting constantly beaten up and humiliated brghtens up my day. Actually, one of my watchers, , basically describes this as Spike's "key" episode, where he gets to pass down his own personal wisdom to a new friend. And honestly, it's hard for me to argue with that. In a season as weak as thsi one, it's nice to see that there are still some shining moments. And this is one that shines the brightest of them all.

And that's it for Season 6. Hopefully, Season 7 proves to be an improvement over this...