[SideswipePrime]

Episode 1: It was pretty good. I wasn't expecting the Nightmare Moon part of the animatic to be in the first episode. Considering how Twilight was acting, especially when it comes to her wings. I think this may take place before Equestria Girls. I found it odd that Twilight used the dark magic to make the potion white, I'll just chalk it up to an animation error.

Episode 2: Hey! We get to see Luna and Celestia's battle. Neat! It was a pretty cool scene. The "battle" against Discord was a bit disappointing. I was hoping for more. I also knew that those things Discord was eating were likely seeds for all those plants. That doesn't explain the clouds though, then again it's Discord, and as we all know "What fun is there in making sense?" I hope this key search doesn't end up like Transformers: Prime's Iacon Relics. We also got to see the origin of the Elements of Harmony. Yeah a tree is a bit cliché, but I can't think of anything else they could've used. All in all I liked this two parter.

EDIT: It didn't feel rushed to me, but I do agree with the them playing up the princess thing too much.

So, in terms of season premieres, here's how I would rank them:

1. Return of Harmony
2. Friendship is Magic
2 (tied). Princess Twilight Sparkle
3. The Crystal Empire