Hey, Shout Factory, I’m still waiting on seasons 2 & 3.
At the end of the 3rd season things changed for the cast of “My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic”. No, not like changed, but CHANGED. So much so that if you haven’t gotten caught up with the 3rd season stop reading because there are massive spoilers. I will keep the spoilers for the 4th season pretty light, but you have to have watched what has come before to fully understand what is taking place in season four as well as appreciate the growth the characters have had.
Growth? Oh yes. Twilight Sparkle grew a couple of wings and her “true nature” came out and she is now Princess Twilight Sparkle. Celestia and Luna vanish right when Princess Twilight Sparkle needs them to help guide her, which then sets off one off the main story arcs of the I really liked this theme of how people (or ponies) change and grow in their responsibilities and how life can pull people in different directions but friendship can still remain a potent force.
Another plot throughout the season is the Equestria Games. There’s not just competition but also representation of Ponyville in the opening ceremonies. This plot just sets up more opportunities to showcase friendship in a longer storyline setting. Still good stuff.
And yes, friendship, still the key here in this series. That friendship theme helps one of the villains of the past, Discord (the great John DeLancie) overcome his evil-ness. A new threat (of course there’s a new threat) pulls Discord back to that side of things, but again the theme of friendship and what that means (such as being honest and keeping your word) comes into play.
Now available through Amazon Shout Factory offers up the whole of season four on DVD in a great set that plugs in so many of the holes the other DVD releases have.
Returning from a past episode are the Flim Flam Brothers who are up to their old tricks. Pinkie Pie has a couple of episodes that deal with family – not only the discovery of it but also her friend’s reaction. There’s also an episode that makes fun of the Milli Vanilli lip-synching debacle of the 1980s.
All 26 episodes of the season are here on four discs. The image quality is good and there are even a couple of special features. First up, and of most interest, is the San Diego Comic-Con panel from 2014. This might not be of too much interest to the supposed target audience the show was meant for, but definitely something older fans will want to check out. Then there are the sing-alongs for some of the songs featured throughout the season. I think a better offering would be an MP3 download of the songs.