@Ihhh  
There has been an ongoing storyline since season one. It was mlre or less ignoed in season two, but it came back full-force in season three and has been going ever since. Whole story arcs cover whole seasons and entire character arcs span multiple seasons.
 
This is out of character for Twilight because she has never been known to care about sports or games in general. Compare this episode to that of “Fall Weather Friends” where she wasn’t concerned about winning. She just competed in the Running of the Leaves to learn more about friendship and Ponyville in general. Even in “Look Before You Sleep”, Twilight was annoyed by the rivalry going on between Rarity Applejack. Or, hell, compare this to an episode we got earlier this season — “Sparkle’s Seven.” In that episode, Twilight treated the ongoing competition between her and Shining Armor as something that was just a friendly ricalry between them, nothing serious. This is in sharp contrast to “Trivial Pursuit”, where she’s shown caring about a meaningless title out of nowhere and taking a stupid trivia gamw very seriously, treating it as if it’s the most important thing in the world to her, going as far as to treat one of her best friends like garbage and getting that same friend disqualified for petty reasons. Twilight has never shown this characteristic before. This is the Princess of Friendship, for crying out loud! Her acting like this completely goes agaibst her character, so much so that it really feels like this was pulled right out of the writer’s ass just so they’d have an excuse to do this plot. This episode would’ve made a lot more sense had it been Rainbow Dash, or hell, even Applejack, in Twilight’s place because, unlike Twilight, Rainbow Dash and Applejack are extremely competitive, and the stuff that Twilight pulled in this episode is exactly the same crap that those two would pull. We saw evidence of fhis firsthand in episodes like “Fall Weather Friends” and “Castle Mane-ia.”
 
Not sure where you got the idea that I hate the show, much less don’t like it, as I have never indicated any such thing anywhere on here. I love the show. I just don’t worship it like it’s this holy grail of cartoons like other people do. I point out specific flaws with thw show’s writing and characters, as have other people on YouTube and MLP-related forums. I don’t like a majority of the seasons due to there being an overabundance of bad episodes with only a few good episodes to choose from in each season. This unfortunately brings the seasons down and makes them bad. There are only a few seasons of this show that can be called good, or at the very least decent, and those seasons are 4, 5, 7, and 9. Every other season is either complete and utter trash or just mediocre by comparison.

@Smitty1991  
There is strong continuity, and the status quo is constantly changing, but that’s not the same thing as having a story. As for Twilight’s character, you clearly don’t understand her character if you think this is out of character for her, but I wouldn’t expect anything less from someone who doesn’t even like this show, yet continues to watch every episode.

@Ihhh  
@northern haste
 
Do either one of you pay attention to this show? There’s been an ongoing story since season one!
 
@Slytherin-Rui  
As a fan of Twilight Sparkle, I have to agree! I HATED how she was written in this episode. This episode deserves a F, not a D.
 
@Ihhh  
Twilight was NOT in character in this episode. This episode thoroughly ruined Twilight’s whole character.

@Background Pony #2E09  
No.

Sad but true.

Still better than Father Knows Beast.

It’s better than the one where Spike sings.

@Slytherin-Rui  
You don’t like this episode because twilight is completely in character? Seems legit.

The previous episode before this one was alright but…yeah, I didn’t like this episode. Mostly because of Twilight being her usually stupid, obsessive self every time. And not just that! Most of the competitors were overly competitive about the game, coming with that cocky look in their faces and, heck, even Fluttershy of all ponies had that cocky attitude! Like, what the hell?! That is not the Fluttershy I know and love! There are moments where I love to see Fluttershy with that sly grin like in an adventure to stop an antagonist or whatever. But, about winning a freaking a game…she has never done that before! But, yeah, I didn’t like how Twilght was written in this episode, being so freaking cocky and obsessed about winning some meaningless game.

@Background Pony #2B8D  

 
That was bad too, but you could at least make the argument that there was some form of character progression as Rainbow Dash learned something new, but with this episode Twilight basically just regressed temporarily and then reset.

Really?

But this episode is much better than last one

@Ihhh
 
I’m sorry, but the story goes on, the characters evolve.  
that the series is episodic does not break the rule but yes there is more unnecessary episode.  
(not to say anything else)

@proto29  
This is not a story arc show

@proto29  
This show is still episodic. It has never had any story ever.

an episode that does not advance the story and that teaches us nothing more about the characters.  
he might have been forgettable but the show ends at the end of this season.

@miky94c  
It still kinda doesn’t change the fact that probably most people are saying this is an improvement over 2 4 6 Greaaat.
 
Or maybe that’s just me. Either way, both episodes are equally polarizing. X3

@Background Pony #2B8D  
You di it read the Preview on desc  
?

Yeah I didn’t like this one much.

@Background Pony #1275  
The episode, you mean?

 
It was perfectly fine. Seriously.

you gave this episode has a D but you gave 2 4 6 Great a B+  
seems legit

E+