This episode is one that I have sometimes seen be called a bit boring or weak, but I overall liked it. The conflict was entertaining and certainly relatable enough to FiM's child demographic (of which we all were). Twilight Sparkle might be a "goody horseshoes" as Rainbow Dash put it, but her interactions and attempts to escape her friends were funny. This episode I don't have too much to say on the main conflict and I feel I have more to say on the various little details I noticed that I didn't remember (like the chase sequence, didn't recall seeing that). I think simpler episodes like this can give a very comfy and cozy vibe that really sticks with me sometimes.
Overall, my rating for this episode is a 6/10. Might not be my personal favorite but I liked it well enough.
Odds and Ends Of anything that stood out to me, the most was little touches of detail that surprised me. Even with the consideration of them reusing assets, it seems like a lot of work to make the first three, uh, how would you say, imagination sequences that the mane 5 had. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie's standout for animation and random asset usage. Rarity is the only one that feels like they "cut corners" being a slide slow of still images that may not have been fully rigged flash assets. I suppose if they had fully planed from the get go to have the gala as a story arch such planning ahead make sense (I mean, all the core conflicts of the Best Night Ever were introduced here), but it still stuck out in what I would think be a "low budget" secondary episode.
Speaking of effort, bees! I don't think I ever noticed them being animated in this episode. Another one of those little touches that makes the world feel more alive.
Worldbuilding, interesting to think that with earlier episodes like this tiny thrown away lines had more impact (like Twilight Sparkle's sandwich preferences) than in later episodes. Something I will note at this time in the fandom a lot of folks strongly insisted on the world being pretty medieval/only limited magical tech but I think Granny Smith needing hip replacement surgery do suggest more things that were close/trying to be something approaching our modern world in some capacity even if we couldn't infer the existence of modern electricity and things like thatched roofing certainly suggest some "low tech" features. (I naturally prefer things to be somewhat high fantasy, my stance on pony tech I'll go more deeply in later).
