Celestia has come on a long way as a character, though actually do like her. In the earlier seasons she was too underused and too much like a just there plot device done little with, with some exceptions. Then there were later episodes such as "A Royal Problem" that made her a lot more interesting and a fully fleshed out character where the problems had with her by fans were addressed. Her chemistry with Twilight has always been great too.
"Horse Play" does a great job with her and it is one of her best episodes. Loved her more mature chemistry with Twilight here and it was great too to see another episode that sees Spike likeable. "Horse Play" is not a 'My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic' classic, but it is one of the best episodes of Season 8 quite easily in my view. Not only does it replace "Surf and/or Turf" (not a popular opinion) as the best episode since the "School Daze" season opener, it surpasses it.
The animation is beautifully crafted. With a lot of rich attention to backgrounds and facial expressions and the colours are eye popping in their vibrancy. The music has a good deal of atmosphere and character and in terms of how instruments are used it is very easy on the ears. The voice acting is typically excellent, with both Tara Strong and Nicole Oliver pulling out all the stops in dignified, heartfelt performances. Especially in the confrontation.
Absolutely love Celestia's character writing here with her being as fleshed out as she was in "A Royal Problem", she has flaws but they are not exaggerated and it was easy to feel for her in a relatable situation. Twilight does cause a big problem, but in a with good intentions way rather than being cruel. She comes over as sympathetic and learns from her mistake. Her chemistry with Celestia really shines in their big confrontation. The rest of the Mane 6 shine in their own way and it was great to see Spike's character writing be close to how it was in Season 6, which was a big upgrade from the previous seasons. Insteaad of emphasising too much negative qualities, Season 6 and this episode saw him as the voice of reason, proving that Spike is a good character when written well.
Writing is some of the most mature of Season 8 and balances funny humour and poignant sentiment beautifully. The story is compelling, delivered with a lot of verve and emotion. Complete with a very relatable and interesting moral that isn't ham handed. Nice too to see the Equestria lore expanded upon.
Really there is very little wrong with "Horse Play". The very end is a touch weird but that is being nit-picky.
Otherwise, great. 9/10.
