>>499
>The constant shitposting/spam all over the catalog really hurt her. Also,count her seemingly rushed reformation back in 2015

I was always in the middle on her. I thought she was rushed and shoehorned at times, but other times I thought she really did shine, especially when she wasn't with the mane6. I never did fully hate her but I could understand those that did when it did seem she took the spotight a little at times. Still, not liking Dolores is one thing, but the level that it got was not worth the supposed transgressions. Glad that's calmed down.

>I will say that season 2 and season 4 are actually pretty good (in fact,the latter is my favorite).

Those both are my favorites. I never can decide between those two though.

>Season 1 however, I don't get the praise from the board. It's decent and has like 6 or 7 top tier episodes but the first half, feels awkward to watch.

Yeah I get that. It was made in the mindset to be a litle girls show that would only last a season or two. Sure, they put a lot of effort into it, but that's what it ultimately was. There was little adult subtext back then too. The few things primarily being little background in jokes by the animators and references to pop culture that were much more subtle and not intended for the net savy older youth audience that it would later have.

To be absolutely fair to those that do prefer season 1 I will say this: there was certain implications of the universe that I could understand some perfering to the one we currently have. A more romantic setting with technology that was more medieval with hints of steampunk note, I think they over emphasize this point though, we still saw hints of more modern parallels to our tech. It only just wasn't as common (Twilight's equipment in Feeling Pinkie Keen, Modren paper in Applebuck Season)
The world certaily felt larger then too. There was a distance that had to be travled too when the ponies went anywhere as oppossed to making a cross continental trips like they were no big deal. The world felt unexplored and threats could be anyway around the cornor. While I personally consider it something that didn't fully die until the rise of the cutie map. Season 1 was when that feeling was at its strongest. not that I'm complaining, some of those eps have been fun!

I personally like season 1, but I don't worship it as the gold standard, and I have been pretty happy for the most part for the show we got afterwords.