DrForester
Kills Photobucket
source: Myke Greywolf
Time for new episodes of NeoGAF's most beloved show. This will be the discussion thread for the fourth season of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. A full season this time around, and questions will be answered.
How will Twilight adapt to her new found royalty?
How many pieces of headcannon will be destroyed this year?
Will John de Lancie continue to play a better Q on this show than he did on Voyager?
Air times:
--- The Hub
---New Episodes
----- Saturday: 10:00 AM EST
New episodes are usually put up on iTunes the next day
As the thread moves at quite a fast pace, this handy guide will link you to the first post when new episodes start airing so you can go right to the new episode discussion. Just click on the episode title to go to start of discussion. This section will also serve as the season 4 episode guide.
If you are interested in watching previous seasons, you can watch on iTunes, and seasons 1-3 can both be found on Netflix in America. Season 1 is available in Canada.
Episode 1&2: "Princess Twilight Sparkle" - November 23
Now a Princess, Twilight Sparkle's Summer Sun Celebration plans are put on hold when Princesses Luna and Celestia go missing. This is the first part of a two-part episode.
Episode 3: "Castle-Mania" - November 30
While in Luna and Celestia's old castle, the ponies are convinced it is haunted by the Pony of Shadows.
Episode 4: "Daring Don't" - December 7
Rainbow Dash and friends offer to help their favorite author finish her latest book.
Episode 5: "Flight To The Finish" - December 14
The Cutie Mark Crusaders vie for the honor of carrying the Ponyville flag at the Equestria Games.
Episode 6: "Power Ponies" - December 21
When Spike and the Mane 6 end up as superheroes in a comic book world, the only way to get back home is to defeat the super-villain, The Mane-iac.
Episode 7: "Bats!" - December 28
Vampire Fruit Bats take over Sweet Apple Acres and Applejack and her friends’ efforts to get rid of them take an unexpected and frightening turn.
Episode 8: "Rarity Takes Manehattan" - January 4
When Rarity attends Fashion Week, another designer copies her entire line.
Episode 9: "Pinkie Apple Pie" - January 11
Pinkie Pie sets out to discover whether or not she is related to the Apple family.
Episode 10: "Rainbow Falls" - January 18
Rainbow Dash must choose between the Ponyville Relay Team and the more competitive Cloudsdale team.
Episode 11: "Three's A Crowd" - January 25
Twilight is looking forward to some quality bonding time with Princess Cadance. But when a sick friend shows up needing Twilight’s attention, it looks like her plans for a peaceful visit with her sister-in-law will have to be put on hold.
Episode 12: "Pinkie Pride" - February 1
Weird Al Yankovic guest stars as Cheese Sandwich, a mysterious pony who comes to town and offers to plan an epic birthday party for Rainbow Dash, putting Pinkie Pie’s status as “super-duper party pony” in jeopardy.
Episode 13: "Simple Ways" - February 8
Rarity has a crush on travel writer, Trenderhoof, and plans to wow him with her ideas for the upcoming Ponyville Days Festival. But Trenderhoof soon has a crush of his own, and Rarity finds herself competing with Applejack for his attention.
Episode 14: "Filli Vanilli" - February 15
When a member of the singing group, the Ponytones, has to drop out of an important performance, Fluttershy takes drastic measures to ensure that the show goes on.
Episode 15: "Twilight Time" - February 22
The Cutie Mark Crusaders are thrilled when Twilight offers to help them with their studies. However, problems arise when the girls realize they can use their relationship with Twilight to increase their popularity.
Episode 16: "It Ain't Easy Being Breezies" - March 1
Fluttershy tries to help magical creatures, but soon finds herself tending to their every need.
Episode 17: "Somepony To Watch Over Me" - March 8
Apple Bloom has to prove to Applejack that she doesn't need her to constantly watch over her.
Episode 18: "Maud Pie" - March 15
When Pinkie Pie's sister comes to town, the girls find her much different than Pinkie described.
Episode 19: "For Whom the Sweetie Belle Toils"- March 22
Disgusted with Rarity for attracting attention away from her, Sweetie Belle decides to have her revenge by ruining an outfit prepared for one of Rarity's most valued clients; while sleeping, Sweetie Belle is contacted by Luna through a dream.
Episode 20: "Leap of Faith" - March 29
The Flim Flam Brothers’ cure-all tonic promises Ponyville citizens a chance to be rid of their ailments. Applejack has her doubts about the merits of the tonic until Granny Smith begins taking it and appears to be cured of all her aches and pains.
Episode 21: "Testing Testing 1, 2, 3" - April 5
Rainbow Dash is preparing to take her test on the history of the Wonderbolts; a test she must pass in order to become a member of the Wonderbolts Reserves. Twilight offers to help her study, but soon realizes that her conventional methods do not work.
Episode 22: "Trade Ya!" - April 19
Spike and the Mane 6 are headed to the Rainbow Falls Traders Exchange to find items they treasure. But when things don’t go exactly as planned, the girls learn that nothing is more valuable than their friendship.
Episode 23: "Inspiration Manifestation" - April 26
Rarity loses her creative mojo and feels like she may never be able to create again. Eager to help, Spike finds a spell that activates Rarity’s visions - both good and bad.
Episode 24: "Equestria Games" - May 3
Spike is elated when he’s given the honor of lighting the torch to open the Equestria Games. But when his nerves get the best of him, Spike goes to great lengths to prove he’s the heroic dragon others believe him to be.
Episode 25&26: "Twilight's Kingdom" - May 10
When a villain escapes Tartarus, Princess Celestia chooses Discord to help track him down instead of Princess Twilight. Meanwhile, prompted to prove that she has an important role to play, Twilight turns her focus to opening the Tree of Harmony chest.
This thread is for discussion of new episodes, news, speculation, and other talk relating to season 3. Episode synopsis and official previews will not need to be discussed in spoilers. Episodes have occasionally leaked on iTunes, and discussion of such should be put behind spoiler bars until the episode airs (and preferably not discussed at all).
Please take fandom and more community posts to the lively Community Thread.
Twilight Sparkle - The Nerd
Voiced by Tara Strong, singing voice by Rebecca Shoichet
A unicorn originating from the Equestrian capital of Canterlot, Twilight is initially an anti-social pony who would very much rather spend her time reading books alone than hanging out with friends. Her stance shifts dramatically as she discovers about the magic of friendship, even though she still values a certain measure of solitude inside her library. Because of her intelligence, she tends to get somewhat snarky when her opinion clashes with someone else's. Her knowledge of Friendship and discovery of a new type of magic led to her becoming a Princess of Equestria and earning a new set of wings.
Applejack - The Country Pony
Voiced by Ashleigh Ball
Applejack is all about business. This earth pony is in charge of her family's apple orchard, and is a hard-working equine who will do anything to gain an extra (honest) buck. She might not be the most intellectually-inclined of ponies, but she can always find a moment to help her friends, and is the go-to pony in Ponyville for any physical tasks, as she is probably the best athlete in town. Despite this, Applejack is stubborn as a mule, and has trouble admitting when she needs help herself. Her messy, straight-talking, no-frills nature sometimes puts her at odds with other, more prim ponies, but her diligent nature makes her one of the most respected ponies in town.
Rainbow Dash - The Hot-Shot
Voiced by Ashleigh Ball
This pegasus pony has no shame about advertising her love affair with a female pony, and that pony is herself. A full-blown braggart, Rainbow Dash has, nevertheless, the skills to back it up - after all, she is probably the best flier in her town, if not in all of Equestria. Her dream is to belong to famed aerobatics team "The Wonderbolts", but nevertheless, her rock-solid loyalty is devoted to her friends. Despite her bragging, Dash is very insecure when she knows she's being judged, but has little patience for anyone less bold than herself and is quick to judge them as useless. She is extremely brave, even in face of unfavorable odds, but tends to jump into danger without thinking things through.
Rarity - The Diva
Voiced by Tabitha St. Germain, singing voice by Kazumi Evans
Rarity's magic may be nowhere as strong as Twilight's, but this unicorn is all about talent - artistic talent. She's the artist of Ponyville, an eximious fashion designer and dress-maker, being the owner of her own atelier and shop. Rarity prides herself in being the most beautiful pony in Ponyville, and would be hard-pressed to show herself in public with a hair of her mane out of place, but her vanity is only surpassed by her generosity, as she will do anything to make sure that her friends look their best - even if it is against their wishes. Her perfectionism and fussiness are strong to a fault, as she sometimes descends into obsessive-compulsive behavior if things aren't absolutely the way she thinks they should be.
Fluttershy - The Shrinking Violet
Voiced by Andrea Libman
Despite being a pegasus pony, Fluttershy is as much of an opposite to Rainbow Dash as it can be imagined. She is extremely shy, as her name suggests, very sensitive and somewhat of a scaredy-cat, but all who get to know her recognize her enormous gentleness and talent to handle all kinds of animals. In fact, animals are the main trigger to dispel Fluttershy's bashfulness, as she gets very enthusiastic when she gets a chance to interact with them - and they, of course, love her too... or else! Her fear of the unknown can be paralyzing, but she always ends up rising to the occasion, specially when her friends are in danger, causing a hidden protective instinct and a mysterious power of persuasion (“the stare”
to reveal themselves.
Pinkie Pie - The Joker
Voiced by Andrea Libman, singing voice by Shannon Chan-Kent
Pinkie Pie defies all explanation. Everybody knows that she loves to party, and is the most social pony in Ponyville, knowing absolutely everyone. But besides that, Pinkie Pie seems to be permanently possessed by sugar rush, showing constant hyperactivity and engaging in wacky hijinks, impromptu singing and seemingly nonsensical behavior that, nevertheless, ALWAYS has a method to it. She is a skilled baker who loves all kinds of sweets and works at the local candy shop, but she'd much rather break the rules of physics and mystify all of her friends, all the while seeming to KNOW something that everyone else doesn't. Her frantic nature means that she sometimes doesn't get taken seriously, and she seems incapable of (or unwilling to) understanding metaphors and figurative speech. Must be seen to be believed.
Spike - The Token Male
Voiced by Cathy Weseluck
Despite being only a baby dragon, Spike acts as Twilight's able assistant, living with her at the library and helping her with her research. Providing a much needed male point of view to Ponyville's happenings, Spike is pragmatic and sometimes sarcastic, but extremely loyal to his caretaker. He acts as the means of communication between Twilight and Princess Celestia, sending and receiving messages royal messages via his magical breath. Spike holds a poorly disguised crush on Rarity, and there's little that he wouldn't do to please the white unicorn.
Princess Celestia - The Wise Ruler
Voiced by Nicole Oliver
From her throne in the city of Canterlot, Celestia has ruled over Equestria for over 1,000 years, and using her powerful winged unicorn magic, she ensures even the movement of the Sun (and the Moon, in her sister's absence). A kind and dedicated monarch, Celestia is also sometimes seen as having a prankster streak. She’s Twilight Sparkle's mentor, and the one who the purple unicorn must send regular reports to, regarding her findings about friendship. She will often manipulate Twilight Sparkle and her friends in the right direction, but ultimately wants to let them overcome problems on their own.
Princess Luna The Sorrowful Heart
Voiced by Tabitha St. Germain
The younger sister of Celestia, Luna used to rule along with her older sister, managing the nights and the movement of the moon. However, her heart grew bitter with time, because of her feeling that her nights were unappreciated by her pony subjects. Corrupted by hatred, Luna became Nightmare Moon, and vowed to make night become eternal. Banned to the moon by Celestia, she stayed there for 1,000 years, and upon her brutal return, only the use of the Elements of Harmony by Twilight Sparkle and her friends was able to stop her plan. Back to her original form, she accepted her sister's forgiveness, and returned to her side to rule once more. These days, Luna would like nothing more than to earn the respect and friendship of her subjects, but her outdated royal demeanor seems to get in the way of her being as popular as her sister.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders (Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo) - The Kids Next Door
Voiced by Claire Corlett, Michelle Creber, and Madeline Peters
A group of three fillies who unite on their quest to earn their cutie marks, which are the reflection of a pony’s special talent and their purpose in life. From the left, they're Scootaloo, a pegasus with a penchant for extreme sports; Sweetie Belle, the younger sister of Rarity and owner of an amazing voice and musical talent; And Apple Bloom, Applejack's sister and a great builder and fixer. With these descriptions, one would think it would be a breeze for the CMC's to get their cutie marks. However, their obliviousness regarding their own talents is a great part of what makes their unnecessarily elaborate efforts funny (and sometimes frustrating).
The PonyGAF Community Thread can be found here. In the community thread you will find fanart, and other fandom related discussions not directly related to season 3.
Previous Threads:
The Season 1 Thread - See where it all began
The Season 2 Thread - And where it continued
The Season 3 Thread - Where it continued to continue
Fan community links
The Round Stable - Review and analysis site. Also runs Bronibooru.
Equestria Daily - The largest fan blog, gathering the most notable fan creations and fan feedback.
MLP:FiM Wikia - The better source for pure information on the show and its characters.
MLP:FiM at KnowYourMeme - The barometer for the subculture’s popularity on the web. Lots of interesting facts and figures about the fandom, as well as a repository of pictures and video links. Also has a well made "history of..." for the fandom.
Thanks to Myke Greywolf for writing up the character guides
