Talk:Episodes, films, and shorts/@comment-32136229-20151109065232/@comment-7345250-20151109084453

I say Season 1 is second only to Season 4 for a couple of reasons.

There's loads of adventure and exploration... and also the surprises that come with such things. Whereas I and others expected a humble Ponyville of ponies and lots of love, we instead discovered a complex fantasy world in which the stories and morals are realistically proportioned.

I mean...


 * Friendship is Magic, part 1 brought us the Everfree Forest, a harsh and savage environment where the content of one's character is of no consequence.


 * Griffon the Brush Off brought us a griffon, thus introducing a surprisingly fierce race and augmenting the mythological element of the show to a new level.


 * Boast Busters featured a pony whose reputation relied on her stories from the world beyond Ponyville and established that even the world of modern Equestria has stories of myth and fantasy. Furthermore, this episode explained unicorn magic better than any episode before or since.


 * Dragonshy sent our heroes on a journey up a mountain to a dragon's lair. The greater part of the episode is the trek itself. We see a lot of natural scenery and realize just how small ponies are in the world they inhabit. Oh, and there's a fully grown fire-breathing dragon too.


 * Bridle Gossip brought forth a zebra. There isn't much to say about her kind, since only she has ever appeared, but this demonstrates that ponies have realistic prejudices. After all, Equestria has proven pretty dangerous, and there is a wide, wide array of creatures to keep track of.


 * Swarm of the Century, Feeling Pinkie Keen, and Stare Master again hammered in how perilous the world of Equestria is. They show us a parasprite swarm, a hydra, and a cockatrice. There is good reason for tension in Equestria.


 * A Dog and Pony Show brought us the Diamond Dogs, and so we finally see that some of Equestria's indigenous tribes are not as friendly as others. It kinda justified the ponies' attitude towards the zebra. This fantasy world continued to prove frightful and interesting.


 * Over a Barrel conversely brought us the buffalo tribe. It takes us to Equestria's border and shows us that ponies don't always get along with their neighbors. Were it not for the weaponized pies, suspense would have been through the roof here.


 * A Bird in the Hoof wrapped up the seasons fantasy exhibition with the introduction of a phoenix. This is almost a footnote, but it still ends it positively. We see that Equestria is truly a world of wonders.

And yet, despite the growing lore and majesty of this world, there is still plenty of time dedicated to developing the main characters. These are the episodes that shaped the characters we have come to adore.


 * Friendship is Magic, part 1 did a beautiful job of introducing the six. This episode lacked nothing. Even if the second part seemed rushed, the first part tells us everything we need to know about these characters until they get their respective times to shine. Still, that second part happens to show the making of their friendships.


 * The Ticket Master cemented these characters and their interests. The previous episodes showed them as characters with roles to play in a grand scheme. Here we just explore what they want and what can come between them.


 * Applebuck Season finally took us into their shortcomings. Applejack proved stubborn and self-destructive, but she learned something from it. The six address an internal problem, this time without Celestia's help, and they do so by communicating among themselves. Their personalities emerge for real.


 * Twenty-two more episodes evolved these characters, explored their insecurities, and observed where they had differences. Who can forget Look Before You Sleep and its contrast between Rarity and Applejack? Or the heat of competition between Applejack and Rainbow Dash in Fall Weather Friends? And what about the clash of the analytical mind and the free spirit in Feeling Pinkie Keen? Or the fear of failing a friend in Green Isn't Your Color? And there was so much more besides.

Heck, I may have just convinced myself to promote Season 1 to first place. Season 4 fulfilled my "wish list," but Season 1 was engaging, fantastic, meaningful, beautiful, and intricate in a way beyond anything I could have hoped for.

You done good, Faust. You done good.