"The One Where Pinkie Pie Knows" has an episode title that pretty much sums up what it's about without needing to read a plot synopsis, and on paper the plot was not much to write home about. But seeing as much of Season 5 was very solid (with some gems, yet also a few misfires) and because the previous Pinkie Pie-centric episode "Party Pooped" did so brilliantly with her characterisation (it was a shame that the rest of the episode wasn't anywhere near as good), expectations were not exactly low.
On first watch "The One Where Pinkie Pie Knows" was a decent episode that was entertaining and again Pinkie Pie on the most part was a delight, but the story badly stopped it from being the great episode that it could have been. On my recent re-watch, my thoughts are pretty much the same. Not one of the worst episodes of Season 5 but nowhere near being one of the best either. If asked which is better between this and "Party Pooped", Pinkie Pie is even better written in that episode but this episode at least didn't have everything with the yaks so it is a tough call.
Much is good here in "The One Where Pinkie Pie Knows". The animation is terrific. Not just typically rich in background detail, very vibrant and atmospheric in colour and with character designs that never look awkward or ugly, but it is also very inventive. A lot goes on visually but it doesn't feel cluttered and is done imaginatively. The music fits with the atmosphere (here quite wacky) and action like a glove, nothing over-bearing here. The voice acting is great all round, Andrea Libman gives it her all as always as Pinkie Pie and clearly was having fun.
Pinkie Pie once again is great in characterisation. While she may not have the depth that she had in "Party Pooped", she is very funny and endearing here on the most part. While not every joke hits, "The One Where Pinkie Pie Knows" is the complete opposite of short changed in the humour and much of it is deliciously wacky and made me laugh numerous times. The character writing is on the whole very good.
However, the episode is a long way from perfect. Its biggest flaw is the story, a nice concept but doesn't fully engage. Even for an episode with such an obvious title, the story is extremely basic and very predictable. It also felt very thin (like ten minutes of plot stretched out for over twenty minutes), and it actually would have been better if the truth, which was very easy to figure out, had been revealed a lot later. Which would have made the conflict more charged and the events engaging. While much of the humour was fine, some of it was overdone and too frantic and some of the whole keeping secret writing could have done with more variety.
While most of the character writing is strong, Rarity's (a great character in Season 5) way of speaking to Pinkie Pie regarding the secret keeping was uncalled for nasty and not necessary. Didn't buy either how Spike did something that would destroy friend and family relationships in real life but next to nothing came of that.
Overall, decent episode but not a great one. 6/10
On first watch "The One Where Pinkie Pie Knows" was a decent episode that was entertaining and again Pinkie Pie on the most part was a delight, but the story badly stopped it from being the great episode that it could have been. On my recent re-watch, my thoughts are pretty much the same. Not one of the worst episodes of Season 5 but nowhere near being one of the best either. If asked which is better between this and "Party Pooped", Pinkie Pie is even better written in that episode but this episode at least didn't have everything with the yaks so it is a tough call.
Much is good here in "The One Where Pinkie Pie Knows". The animation is terrific. Not just typically rich in background detail, very vibrant and atmospheric in colour and with character designs that never look awkward or ugly, but it is also very inventive. A lot goes on visually but it doesn't feel cluttered and is done imaginatively. The music fits with the atmosphere (here quite wacky) and action like a glove, nothing over-bearing here. The voice acting is great all round, Andrea Libman gives it her all as always as Pinkie Pie and clearly was having fun.
Pinkie Pie once again is great in characterisation. While she may not have the depth that she had in "Party Pooped", she is very funny and endearing here on the most part. While not every joke hits, "The One Where Pinkie Pie Knows" is the complete opposite of short changed in the humour and much of it is deliciously wacky and made me laugh numerous times. The character writing is on the whole very good.
However, the episode is a long way from perfect. Its biggest flaw is the story, a nice concept but doesn't fully engage. Even for an episode with such an obvious title, the story is extremely basic and very predictable. It also felt very thin (like ten minutes of plot stretched out for over twenty minutes), and it actually would have been better if the truth, which was very easy to figure out, had been revealed a lot later. Which would have made the conflict more charged and the events engaging. While much of the humour was fine, some of it was overdone and too frantic and some of the whole keeping secret writing could have done with more variety.
While most of the character writing is strong, Rarity's (a great character in Season 5) way of speaking to Pinkie Pie regarding the secret keeping was uncalled for nasty and not necessary. Didn't buy either how Spike did something that would destroy friend and family relationships in real life but next to nothing came of that.
Overall, decent episode but not a great one. 6/10
