"Make New Friends But Keep Discord"

Another definite new favorite episode of the season so far! Very weird, and I'd expect no less from a Discord-centric one. Reading the description, I thought, "How interesting it'll be if this is a male friend of whom Discord is jealous..." xD But needless to say, this is going to fuel Fluttercord shipping regardless. A new male friend would've perhaps been too blatant...
          I've got to say, there are a lot of common MLP ships with some merit. I mean, Fluttercord's beyond obvious now, though I had also enjoyed the thought of Dislestia or "Discord Pie." Or him with any of the mane six, really. Then you've got Fluttermac, which hypothetically makes a lot of sense, despite us seeing extremely little interaction between those two. But Big Mac could also still wind up pairing with Cheerilee, or any of the mane six aside from Applejack (you just don't wanna go on that adventure. Not with these ponies.) There are few for which you can derive much actual support from the show, of course. The only canon couples are...well, the few who actually are! Parents, mostly. But, enough about that stuff; back to the episode.

Okay, first of all: NEW FAVORITE CHARACTER. Treehugger is amazing. I love her tomato-colored dreadlocked/corded hair, and her epic eyebrows and voice and the things she says. I always love the "hippie-dippie" characters (just started watching Grace & Frankie on Netflix, and Frankie's the best! XD) Absolutely, Treehugger & Maud & Flax Seed & the other hippie ponies from the comics need to be BFFs. Treesie and Maud are both so eminently chillaxed. And speaking of Maud, she attended the gala this year! In a sparkly blue dress! Wondrousness!! 8DDD

So Treehugger's an earth pony with a cutie mark that looked like a heart balloon, or a heart on a stick or something? I dunno, I felt as if that could've been a little better thought-out. Doesn't have to be a tie-dyed peace sign with daisies around it or anything, but it looked a tad bit uninspired for such an awesometastic pone. But then, she'd probably be all cool about the whole thing and feel cosmically blessed by any cutie mark that turned up, interpreting it as being one way or another fully in tune with her aura and life force. -u-

Interesting how Discord brought the Smooze back--but instead of being a many-faced ocean of purple goo under the command of a witchy trio, it seems he summoned a smaller quantity of green JELL-O (like B.O.B., or the jelly monster from the beginning of Monsters, Inc.) with a mouth. Plus a tophat, bow tie, and dumb but lovable personality. Smoozie is still capable of consuming anything/everything/anypony/anyone, but also easily distracted by disco balls, and placated by Treehugger's patented, harmonic, mellowing, lip-rippling Sonic Bliss(R). 
Unnnhhhhhh, I wanna see Treehugger, Treeflower, Candy Warren, "Beret Girl," Sunshine, etc., get together for a love-in...8)

That was a nice view of Discord's house and home dimension. He's got a cool floor-ceiling and dish-dirtying detergent. And there are flying badgers there, apparently.
For a few minutes there I thought he might be about to force poor Post Haste to be his plus-one! For sure he's made big strides, but is still his old self; FULL reform may be too much to ask, and where's the fun in that, anyhow? ;]

Flutters used "anypony" in reference to that teacup-munching Draconequus--curious. Typically the word is only applied to ponies. :p Maybe they're such close chums now that she's starting to think of him as one.
    Must be pretty creepy to have him slither out from under your blanket in the middle of the night and demand all up in your face to know where Twilight is.

So fittingly, Twilight's graduated from Assistant Hoofshaker to Assistant Gala Planner/Organizer. (Yet Celestia still finds jokes about her flying skills amusing. x3) She really has a great time at these unconventional Gross Gruesome Galas, man. This one was even funner than the last, what with that portal to another dimension of strange 'live-action' sock puppet beings opening up, and a guest nearly getting tossed through it and all. The 'Zoe Trent' in Lestie's voice becomes more noticeable when she gets all excited.
And where the hay was Luna?

There was no focus on everypony's gala dresses and manestyles this year, so you had to purposely look at them, but once again they all looked fab...especially Pinkie! And Flutters' hair, with the Leia bun...and Dash, AJ, Rarity (her hairdo was swell)...and the Crusaders! Applebloom's peach-colored dress! Scoots! Twi! Celestia! 8D (Plus camera-shaking, fourth-wall-shattering Pinkie in the beginning! XD)

The conflict resolution and Discord's realization of the moral was quick, sensible, and effective. Nice indignant Flutterrage.

"You're the most basic of jokes." There are numerous Best Ponies, and Maud Pie is among them. A regular comedienne, she be.
Other favorite lines/notable moments:
The "two cakes" story.
"Blessing." "I meet a lot of different creatures--each one of them perfect and unique." (Wait, Discord & 'Treesie' have really met before?! And she didn't specifically remember him...? Or what? Does this relate at all to the comic revealing Discord's ONE other friend from the past? The "Friends Forever" one where he takes the Crusaders time-traveling?!)
"I need, like, a few minutes to clear out my chakras before I can hug you from a place of authenticity."
Nude Rarity at the gala--oh, the equinity!! Luckily it would seem that she managed to retrieve her outfit from Discord's vacuum.

-"Tough crowd"=Rodney Dangerfield impression! Same as Genie's in Aladdin when he says he can't believe he's losing to a rug. And his little video-game-style question mark announcing his teleported arrival.
-Only at Sugar Cube Corner is "most delicious" the LEAST delicious rank on the deliciousness scale!!
-Noticed that they appear to have a problem animating Pegasus wings when the ponies are clothed. The wings often wind up placed too far forward, despite the convenient holes that should eliminate that. It was especially obvious on one shot of Twilight hovering--her wings were literally attached at her shoulders.
-Cute how the Crusaders were so pumped for their first "best night ever!" (Like, "Yeah, that's what they said the last time...!!") Applejack's reaction to seeing her little sis in her dress was sweet. She cries on the outside too, sometimes--and Dash's tail pays for it! (I wonder what card game they were playing...)
-Lyrica Lilac spotted (the one who passed out), but no Purple Wave.


To conclude, a very non-basic joke:

What's the difference between a dirty bus stop and a lobster with beast implants?

One is a crusty bus station, and the other is a busty crustacean.

What's the difference between a crusty bus station and a mid-flight pause to clean off one's avian self?

One is a dirty bus stop, and the other is a birdie dust stop.