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"My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic" (MLP:FiM) is the latest animated show based on the "My Little Pony" (MLP) franchise created by toy maker Hasbro. It tells us about the lives and adventures of six pony friends from Ponyville, a small town in the magical land of Equestria.
The show premiered in October 2010, and was initially developed for television by Lauren Faust, creator of "Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends", animator for "The Iron Giant", writer for "Powerpuff Girls", and wife of PPG's creator Craig McCracken.
Although Lauren Faust is no longer involved in the production of the show, the rest of the creative team will be kept for season 2, and director Jayson Thiessen has ensured the fans that the spirit that transformed the first season into a popularity phenomenon will be maintained for the new episodes.
Season 2 begins on Saturday, September 17.
Air times:
- United States of America (EST):
--- The Hub
---New Episodes
----- Saturday: 10:00 AM
---Repeat showings
----- Saturday: 10:30 AM
- United Kingdom (WEST):
--- Boomerang
----- Weekdays: 15:00
-Spain: (season 1)
---Boing
---Weekdays:
----10:30 am
---Weekends
----7:30 am
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 2 episode guide.
If you are interested in watching season 1, you can watch on iTunes, and (as of this posting) Hasbro has been happy to allow the episodes to remain on youtube. You can find a full season 1 episode guide in The Community Thread.
Episode 1 - "The Return of Harmony - Part 1" - September 17
Discord, a new villain, escapes from his stone prison and Twilight and her friends act quickly to find the Elements of Harmony to stop him.
Episode 2 - "The Return of Harmony - Part 2" - September 24
Discord causes a rift between Twilight and her friends and she must bring them back together in order to defeat him.
Episode 3 - "Lesson Zero" - October 15
Hyper-organized Twilight panics when she can’t find a lesson about friendship for her weekly letter to Princess Celestia.
Episode 4 - "Luna Eclipsed" - October 22
It's Nightmare Night and the macabre celebrations are in full swing when Luna herself shows up in Ponyville, determined to change her frightening public image.
Episode 5 - "Sisterhooves Social" - November 5
Sweetie Belle is upset when her sister Rarity refuses to participate in a rough and tumble celebration of sisterly unity.
Episode 6 - "The Cutie Pox" - November 12
Applebloom finally gets her Cutie Mark! But joy turns to panic as she gets a second, then a third, then a dozen cutie marks.
Episode 7 - "May The Best Pet Win!" - November 19
Rainbow Dash hosts a flying race to see who will be her pet.
Epiosde 8 - "The Mysterious Mare Do Well" - November 26
There is a new hero in Ponyville who is masked and stealing Rainbow Dash's thunder.
Episode 9 - "Sweet and Elite" - December 3
Rarity must choose between her friends and important social connections in Canterlot.
Episode 10 - "Secret of my Excess" - December 10
Spike gets greedy on his birthday and has a huge growth spurt that could decimate Ponyville.
Episode 11 - "Hearth's Warming Eve" - December 17
The six friends are in a play about the founding of Equestria for the Hearth's Warming Eve's holiday pageant.
Episdoe 12 - "Family Appreciation Day" - January 7
Apple Bloom doesn't want Granny Smith to embarrass her by speaking in her class.
Episode 13 - "Baby Cakes" - January 14
Pinkie Pie tries babysitting the Cakes' twin toddlers but finds it harder than she thought.
Episode 14 - "The Last Roundup" - January 21
When Applejack disappears, Twilight and her friends set on a journey to find her.
Episode 15 - "The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000" - January 28
The Flim Flam brothers challenge the Apples to a Cider Making Contest for the farm.
Episode 16 - "Read It And Weep" - February 4
Rainbow Dash secretly discovers the joys of reading when she's laid up in the hospital.
Episode 17 - "Hearts and Hooves Day" - February 11
The Cutie Mark Crusaders make Miss Cheerilee and Big Macintosh fall in love.
Episode 18 - "A Friend In Deed" - February 18
Pinkie Pie tries to turn Cranky Doodle Donkey, the only creature to refuse her friendship.
Episode 19 "Putting Your Hoof Down" - March 3
Iron Will helps Fluttershy become assertive.
Episode 20 - "It's About Time" - March 10
Twilight receives a warning from her future self and drives herself crazy with worry.
Episode 21 - "Dragon Quest - March 17
Spike goes on a journey of self-discovery by joining the “Great Dragon Migration.” But does a rough and tumble gang of teenage dragons really hold the key to the questions Spike has about his identity?
Episode 22 - "Hurricane Fluttershy" - March 24
Fluttershy needs to overcome her self consciousness in order to help Rainbow Dash and the other pegasi with the Rainy Season.
Episode 23 - Ponyville Confidential" - March 31
The Cutie Mark Crusaders start a gossip column under the name Gabby Gums, but find it might not be worth the pain the stories cause other ponies.
Episode 24 - MMMystery on the Friendship Express - April 7
A cake Pinkie Pie is guarding for a contest is ruined on the way to Canterlot and an investigation begins.
As PonyGAF will be occupying two threads, we want to make sure this thread stays on topic. As a result there are a few rules for knowing which thread gets what types of posts. The GAF mod team has no problems with PonyGAF, they just don't want the thread dominating the OT. Please abide by the rules, or you might find yourself banished to the Moon for much longer than 1,000 years.
This thread is for discussion of new episodes, news, speculation, and other talk relating to season 2.
This thread is NOT FOR fanart, character rankings, synchtube discussions, trolling, and general fandom discussion. For all that (except the trolling, trolls can go here) please go the lively Community Thread.
Spoiler Rules
This thread will operate with minimum black bars. What this means is that if you want to avoid spoilers, you should avoid the thread until the show begins airing. Episode previews, as well summaries from The HUB will be posted and talked about freely. We would ask that you don't go out of the way to spoil something through other sources (i.e. if an episode were to leak early).
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. Although her great organization skills make her a natural leader, she is prone to breaking under pressure or when reality contradicts her theoretical knowledge. Twilight has amazing magic potential, and is our "point of view pony", a sane counterpoint to all the weird stuff that happens in her world.
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.
Nightmare Moon / 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.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders (Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom) - The Kids Next Door
Voiced by Madeline Peters, Claire Corlett and Michelle Creber; Sweetie Belle's singing voice by Michelle Creber
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 2.
Previous Threads:
The Season 1 Thread - See where it all began
Fan community links
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.
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.
Q: I’m seeing these ponies all over the Internet, is this some sort of meme that has gotten way out of hand?
A: Not at all. Most of those people you see posting in other forums and everyone in this particular thread truly care about the show and the fan-base that has formed around it.
Q: Isn’t this show for little girls? I remember seeing some old My Little Pony shows in the 80s that had tea and slumber parties that gave me nightmares.
A: I can assure you that those old My Little Pony television shows and movies have almost no relation to FiM aside from the name. Creator Lauren Faust pitched the new show idea as a radical change to the MLP formula that would interest more of the entire family as well as provide a better quality show for those young female viewers.
Q: All right, fine. I’ll watch an episode. I haven’t got anything else to do for the next 20 minutes. What should I watch?
A: The best place to start is really going to be the first episode. When you start watching you may be rolling your eyes at the beginning, but I can almost assure you that you won’t be for very long after that.
Q: So, I watched an episode... and oh my gosh, this show is awesome! Rainbow Dash is a bad-ass and Fluttershy is so adorable. Pinkie Pie is f***ing crazy and Rarity is so fabulous. Thanks for telling me about this show!
A: Welcome to the herd.
