My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic “Castle Sweet Castle” Review

Usually the premiere of a brand new season is made to be extra epic for drawing the viewer in. Then the second episode is more tame. “The Ticket Master,” “Lesson Zero,” “Too Many Pinkie Pies” (this one being the exception) and “Castle Mane-ia” while not bad, are not some of the more memorable episodes in overall quality. “The Cutie Map” nicely re-introduced the ponies after an 11 month(!) wait. Interestingly, unlike the previous season it doesn’t look like (yet) that there’s any long-standing arc in the works. “Castle Sweet Castle” talks about something many fans have been probably been wondering: How is Twilight taking to her life in the new Castle? While not one of the more exciting episodes, it’s still a great watch. The climax is truly special.

Here’s the official description from Discovery Family:

Twilight starts to avoid her castle due to her still grieving over the loss of her library. Feeling sorry for her, the other ponies try to think of a way to make the castle feel more like home.

Fun facts: For one thing, unless I’m mistaken, this is the first time one of the spa ponies spoke, and Bulk Biceps works for them! Anyways, back to business. At first I thought it was rather strange how Twilight was acting in the beginning, given how there was zero indication previously about how she felt. But then I realized that there hasn’t been time to explore her feelings about living in a castle. When you think about it, the show hasn’t explored the transition from her library tree-house to the fortress; it all happened so fast. This is the first time the show is exploring that transition. Interestingly, it’s doing that with brand new writers Joanna Lewis and Kristine Songco.

In regards to the overall writing, there are no major complaints that come to mind. There are only  a couple of little things. Angel locks out Fluttershy knowing it was Twilight who forced him to get cleaned up, which was rather mean-spirited, even for him. Pinkie Pie is very hyper, as we know, but she isn’t dumb. The whole spoon scene was off, even for her. (Ignoring cartoon dynamics, I think she would be a concerned if one of her friends can choke and die!) Some fans were disappointed with Spike’s role in the previous two-parter. (Because he had none.) That changes here. He has a solid part here, stalling Twilight as the friends work to make her castle more like home.

While the song from “The Cutie Map” was rather unmemorable, the theme here is quite the opposite. ‘Make This Castle A Home’ is very catchy; you will find yourself smiling throughout. The overall message is definitely solid, and Twilight’s tears at the end will have even the most un-cheerful of fans going “Awwww.” Basically, home isn’t just about appearance, it’s the memories inside that makes it a place one can call “home.” Overall, the second episode of Season 5 is most definitely very good. Two new writers make their debut, and I’m looking forward to seeing what else they bring to the table later in the show. While technically not very eventful, it’s a pretty heartwarming story by the end with a few laugh-out-loud moments.