One of the main reasons for seeing "Ponyville Confidential" in the first place, as we near the end of a quite well done and interesting if inconsistent second season, is for the concept/story. It is such a relatable one, likewise with the moralising, and very relevant in today's society, with there being daily gossip daily in pretty much every newspaper and magazine there is (most of which without proof and bordering on the wrong side of cheap and nasty).
"Ponyville Confidential" is a very solid episode with a lot of very good to great things. It does a great job with this topical subject, doing it in an entertaining and worth relating to way, and it really has been great that in Season 2 there has been a real and mostly successful effort in making the Cutie Mark Crusaders more distinct and more developed (with this episode being far from an exception). Even if it doesn't do anything to change my mind on my dislike of one character that plays a role big enough in the episode to stop it from being great.
Again, Diamond Tiara (have really not cared for her this season) is truly obnoxious and too much of a bully. Although she is meant to be this bossy sort of character this was taken to extremes, which has been the case in some of Season 2's episodes (and the other seasons are no exceptions either) in that negative personality traits have been overdone.
Wouldn't have said no to her being exposed earlier, or at least the Cutie Mark Crusaders some way to avoid the consequences of their actions to get to the extent they did. Despite their actions being uncondonable, their treatment was far too harsh.
There are so many great things though about "Ponyville Confidential". The animation is vibrant and the attention to detail always catches the eye positively. The music is suitably dynamic. It was impossible to not appreciate the episode's remarkable ability to make each Cutie Mark Crusader character well defined and not the one-dimensional, too cute characters they could have been. Loved the character interaction, not just between the Cutie Mark Crusaders but in particular between Applejack and Big Mac which made for poignant stuff.
Similarly loved Big Mac's way of telling off, very firm without being intimidating. One of the episode's most relatable aspects was Rarity's emotional state throughout, her fury is wonderfully theatrical but quite affecting too. 'My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic' is always great in character writing and interactions, and this is for example apparent in the spa scene. The story is always compelling, entertains throughout and so relevant still in today's journalism, also relevant is the tactfully handled and very important moral. It never preaches but makes its point. The writing is thoughtful and witty.
All in all, very good on the whole. 8/10
